Rachmaninoff and More
September 20, 2025
When "Rachmaninoff" and "Piano Concerto" are combined, you know it will be a powerful combination. Hear acclaimed pianist Ksenia Nosikova as she presents Rachmaninoff's First Piano Concerto; and our own Kennedy Cowart opens the concert with a concerto by Tomasini.
Program
Concerto for Trumpet........................Henri Tomasi (1901-1971)
1. Fantasque (a piacere)
2. Nocturne (Andante)
3. Finale (Allegro Vivo)
Kennedy Cowart, trumpet
Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 23........................Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
1. Morning Mood
2. The Death of Åse
3. Anitra's Dance
4. In the Hall of the Mountain King
INTERMISSION
Piano Concerto No. 1 in F# Minor, Op. 1.....Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
I. Vivace - moderato
II. Andante
III. Allegro Vivace
Ksenia Nosikova, piano
Program Notes
Tomasi Trumpet Concerto
The Concerto was initially deemed "unplayable" after it was commissioned in 1948 by the Paris Conservatory. However, Tomasi himself disproved this notion by conducting the premiere in November 1948 with trumpeter Jas Doets. It has since become a standard work in the trumpet repertoire. Tomasi himself stated that while the work's structure is classical (three movements), the musical content is diverse and eclectic. It draws upon various styles, including film score, Impressionism, exoticism, and jazz, creating a unique soundscape for the trumpet soloist. The composer aimed to explore the trumpet's full expressive and technical range, from Bach's style to modern techniques and jazz.
Grieg Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Although originally incidental music, the suites Grieg extracted became very popular as concert pieces. The first suite, Op. 46, was published in 1888 and is among Grieg's most famous and frequently performed works. The suite comprises four movements, each depicting a scene from the play: "Morning Mood" (a serene depiction of a sunrise), "The Death of Åse" (a mournful piece reflecting the protagonist's mother's death), "Anitra's Dance" (a light and graceful dance), and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (a lively and dramatic piece depicting Peer's encounter with trolls).
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1
Rachmaninoff composed the concerto in 1891, when he was just 18 years old, demonstrating remarkable early talent. The piece was later substantially revised in 1917, and it's this revised version that is most commonly performed today. The revision shows a greater mastery of composition, showcasing the composer's development over the intervening years. As a young student, Rachmaninoff was advised to model his early works after existing masterpieces. He chose Grieg's Piano Concerto, a favorite work that his teacher Alexander Siloti practiced frequently. Rachmaninoff adapted the structure and some musical ideas from the Grieg concerto into his own, especially in the outer movements. He later said, after revising the work, that "All the youthful freshness is there, and yet it plays itself so much more easily".