Rachmaninoff's Timeline
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By Patrick Imialek
1873 (birth) - Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff is born in Oneg, near Novogrod, Russia, on April 1st into an aristocratic family. Both his parents are amateur pianists.
1877 (age 4) - Rachmaninoff's mother begins to give him piano lessons.
1882 (age 9) - Rachmaninoff begins his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
1885 (age 12) - Rachmaninoff leaves St. Petersburg for Moscow, where he begins to study piano with Nikolay Zverev.
1887 (age 14) - 3 Nocturnes, a Romance, Prelude, Melodie and Gavotte are amongst Rachmaninoff's first piano compositions.
1888 (age 15) - Rachmaninoff enters Alexander Ziloti's piano class at the Moscow Conservatory, while studying counterpoint with Sergey Taneyev and harmony with Anton Arensky.
1891 (age 18) - In addition to composing the Piano Concerto No. 1 and a number of other works, Rachmaninoff also completes the tone poem Prince Rostislav.
1892 (age 19) - Rachmaninoff performs at the premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 1 in Moscow. He graduates in composition from the Moscow Conservatory, receiving the highest grade possible, and wins the Conservatory's Great Gold Medal for his opera Aleko. This year Rachmaninoff also composes his famous Prelude in C-sharp minor.
1893 (age 20) - Rachmaninoff's opera Aleko premieres at the Bolshoy Theatre.Tchaikovsky's death greatly affects Rachmaninoff and prompts him to compose the Trio élégiaque in D minor.
1894 (age 21) - Rachmaninoff finishes composing Morceaux de salon (op.10) and Caprice bohémien.
1897 (age 24) - Conducted by Glazunov, Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1 premieres on March 27th. Its terrible reception, combined with Rachmaninoff's anguish over the Russian Orthodox Church's objection to his marrying his cousin, Natalia Satina, causes Rachmaninoff to fall into a severe depression which will last three years.
1900 (age 27) - After taking a course of autosuggestive therapy with psychologist Nikolai Dahl, Rachmaninoff emerges from his depression and begins to compose again, beginning with the Piano Concerto No. 2, which he dedicates to Dahl.
1902 (age 29) - Rachmaninoff is finally permitted by the Russian Orthodox Church to marry Natalia Satina. He composes the cantata Spring and 12 Songs (op.21).
1903 (age 30) - The Rachmaninoff's first daughter, Irina, is born.
1904 (age 31) - Rachmaninoff begins to conduct opera the Bolshoy Theatre.
1906 (age 33) - After finishing his two operas, Francesca da Rimini and The Miserly Knight, Rachmaninoff spends time at the Satins' country estate at Ivanovka where he finished the 15 Songs (op.26). Later in the year, Rachmaninoff and his family travel to Dresden, where he begins work onSymphony No. 2.
1907 (age 34) - The Rachmaninoff's second and last child, Tatyana, is born at Ivanovka.
1908 (age 35) - Rachmaninoff conducts the premiere of Symphony No. 2 in St. Petersburg.
1909(age 36) - Rachmaninoff composes Piano Concerto No. 3 (colloquially known today as Rach 3) and gives its premiere during his first American tour in the autumn.
1911 (age 38) - Back in Russia, Rachmaninoff takes charge of the estate of Ivanovka. He composes the Études-tableaux (op.33).
1913(age 40) - While in Rome, Rachmaninoff begins work on the choral symphony The Bells which he finishes at Ivanovka.
1917 (age 44) - The Rachmaninoffs lose everything because of the October Revolution and the bloody rampage of the Bolsheviks. They escape to Stockholm, where Rachmaninoff gives concerts to provide for his family.
1918 (age 45) - From Stockholm the Rachmaninoffs move to Copenhagen. In November they sail to America.
1919 (age 46) - Once in America, Rachmaninoff begins to perform and tour extensively, playing 40 concerts in a four-month period. Due to his hectic concert career and poignant homesickness, from now until his death in 1943 Rachmaninoff will only complete six more compositions.
1920 (age 47) - Rachmaninoff signs his first recording contract with the Victor Talking Machine Co. (later RCA).
1921 (age 48) - The Rachmaninoff's buy a house in the USA, where they consciously recreate the atmosphere of Ivanovka, entertaing Russian guests, employing Russian servants, and observing Russian customs.
1927 (age 54) - Rachmaninoff's newest composition, Piano Concerto No. 4 is poorly received and he withdraws from the repertory.
1934 (age 61) - The Rachmaninoffs spend their first summer at the newly built Villa Senar in Lucerne, Switzerland. From now they will spend every summer at Senar, which was built to remind them of Ivanovka. The picturesque surroundings awake Rachmaninoff's muse and he composes one of his most famous pieces, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
1936 (age 63) - Rachmaninoff composes Symphony No. 3 at Senar.
1940 (age 67) - Rachmaninoff composes his last work, the Symphonic Dances.
1942 (age 69) - Rachmaninoff falls ill during a concert tour and is diagnosed with advanced melanoma.
1943 (age 69) - Rachmaninoff dies of melanoma in Beverly Hills, California, on March 28th, just four days before his 70th birthday. His wish to be buried at the Villa Senar was rendered impossible by World War II. He was therefore interred in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.