Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

First came the scathing reception of his 1926 Piano Concerto No. 4, later came the problematic recitals of his 1931 Corelli Variations: both works proved too long for American audiences. With its Gershwin-like joie de vivre and variations that sparkle with invention, then, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini marked Rachmaninoff’s return to form. The theme itself, with its sprightly upbeats, is taken from the last of Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Solo Violin (1817). It is ripe for reinvention: Paganini’s theme had previously inspired variations from Liszt and Brahms, and would later capture the imagination of Witold Lutoslawski and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Rachmaninoff’s single-movement work for piano and orchestra is like a piano concerto, filled with rhetorical flourishes that put the soloist’s virtuosity firmly in the spotlight. Following a brief introduction, Rachmaninoff gives us the first variation before we get the theme—a playful reference, perhaps, to the finale of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, where the theme is varied before it is announced. The mood changes with the sixth variation, as we hear the first statement of the sombre Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) theme—a popular plainchant melody that Rachmaninoff again threads playfully into the work in variations 10 and 12, and in the finale. Paganini’s theme is turned upside down for the yearning outpourings of the D-flat major “Andante cantabile” 18th variation. A wonderful display of compositional ingenuity, it offers a moment of dreamy reflection before the work speeds headlong toward its dazzling finale.