49 moments

1. Birth at the Rachmaninoff family estate

   1873-04-01 · Semyonovo, near Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast, Russia

   Rachmaninoff was born at his family’s estate in Semyonovo, near Staraya Russa, in the Novgorod Governorate. Coordinates are a representative point for Semyonovo near Staraya Russa.

2. Family relocation to Saint Petersburg

   1882-01-01 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

   After the Oneg estate was auctioned, Rachmaninoff’s family moved to a small flat in Saint Petersburg.

3. Study at Saint Petersburg Conservatory

   1883-01-01 · Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Saint Petersburg, Russia

   At age ten, Rachmaninoff began formal conservatory study in Saint Petersburg under Gustav Kross.

4. Moved into Nikolai Zverev’s Moscow household

   1885-01-01 · Moscow, Russia

   Rachmaninoff relocated to Moscow to live and study with the pianist and teacher Nikolai Zverev. The specific Zverev residence is not identified in the source; coordinates represent central Moscow.

5. Summer at Ivanovka

   1890-01-01 · Ivanovka Estate, Tambov Oblast, Russia

   Rachmaninoff spent his summer break with the Satins at Ivanovka, the country estate that became a recurring creative retreat until 1917.

6. Graduation from Moscow Conservatory

   1892-05-29 · Moscow Conservatory, Moscow, Russia

   Rachmaninoff graduated with highest honors in composition and piano, receiving a diploma that designated him a “Free Artist.”

7. Conducting performances of Aleko in Kyiv

   1893-01-01 · Kyiv, Ukraine

   During a trip to Kyiv, Rachmaninoff conducted performances of his opera Aleko and learned of Tchaikovsky’s death. The source gives the year through surrounding chronology but not a more precise date.

8. First visit to London

   1899-01-01 · London, England, United Kingdom

   

   Rachmaninoff traveled to London for the first time, where he performed and conducted to favorable reviews. The source gives the date only through surrounding 1899 chronology.

9. Settled in Moscow after marriage

   1902-01-01 · Moscow, Russia

   

   Following their European honeymoon, Sergei and Natalia Rachmaninoff made Moscow their home; he resumed teaching there. The source does not provide a more precise return date.

10. Conductor at the Bolshoi Theatre

    1904-01-01 · Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia

    

    Rachmaninoff began a two-season appointment as conductor at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre.

11. Relocation to Dresden

    1906-11-01 · Dresden, Saxony, Germany

    

    Seeking seclusion from Moscow’s political turmoil and social life, Rachmaninoff moved with his family to Dresden.

12. Russian concerts in Paris

    1907-05-01 · Paris, France

    

    While working on his Second Symphony, Rachmaninoff detoured to Paris to participate in Sergei Diaghilev’s season of Russian concerts.

13. Piano Concerto No. 3 in New York

    1909-01-01 · New York City, New York, United States

    

    During his first American tour, Rachmaninoff appeared as soloist in a New York performance of his Third Piano Concerto conducted by Gustav Mahler. The source places the event during the 1909–10 tour but does not give a day or month.

14. United States debut recital

    1909-11-04 · Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, United States

    

    Rachmaninoff’s first appearance on his first American tour was a recital at Smith College.

15. Permanent conductor of the Moscow Philharmonic Society

    1911-01-01 · Moscow, Russia

    

    Rachmaninoff began a two-season tenure as permanent conductor of the Philharmonic Society of Moscow. The source provides a two-season span; 1911 marks its beginning.

16. Composition retreat at Piazza di Spagna

    1912-01-01 · Piazza di Spagna, Rome, Italy

    

    After a family holiday in Switzerland, Rachmaninoff stayed alone in a small apartment on Rome’s Piazza di Spagna and began work on The Bells. The year follows the immediately preceding 1912 resignation from the IRMS; no more precise date is supplied.

17. Conducted The Bells in Saint Petersburg

    1913-01-01 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

    

    Rachmaninoff conducted the premiere of his choral symphony The Bells in Saint Petersburg. The source specifies only late 1913.

18. Concert tour of England

    1914-01-01 · England, United Kingdom

    

    Rachmaninoff began an English concert tour shortly before the First World War. Coordinates are a representative point for England because the source does not identify individual tour venues.

19. Summer vacation in Finland

    1915-01-01 · Finland

    

    While vacationing in Finland, Rachmaninoff learned of the death of his former teacher Sergei Taneyev. Coordinates are a representative point for Finland; the source does not identify the vacation site.

20. Final departure from Ivanovka

    1917-01-01 · Ivanovka Estate, Tambov Oblast, Russia

    Rachmaninoff returned to Ivanovka after the February Revolution, found the estate seized, and left it permanently after three weeks. The source supplies relative timing within 1917 but not a month.

21. War-benefit recital in Moscow

    1917-01-01 · Moscow, Russia

    On the day the February Revolution began in Saint Petersburg, Rachmaninoff gave a Moscow recital benefiting wounded Russian soldiers. The source ties the recital to the revolution’s opening day but does not state a calendar date.

22. Last Russian concert at Yalta

    1917-09-05 · Yalta, Crimea

    Rachmaninoff gave what proved to be his final concert performance in Russia.

23. Transit through Helsinki

    1917-12-01 · Helsinki, Finland

    During the family’s escape from Russia, Rachmaninoff traveled through Finland to Helsinki. The quoted departure date establishes December 1917, but the source does not state the date of arrival in Helsinki.

24. Departure from Saint Petersburg

    1917-12-22 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Rachmaninoff and his family began their permanent departure from Russia by train from Saint Petersburg toward the Finnish border.

25. Arrival in Stockholm

    1917-12-24 · Stockholm, Sweden

    Rachmaninoff and his family arrived in Stockholm after leaving revolutionary Russia.

26. Relocation to Copenhagen

    1918-01-01 · Copenhagen, Denmark

    The Rachmaninoff family relocated to Copenhagen, where they settled on the ground floor of a house with assistance from Nikolai Struve.

27. Embarked from Oslo for America

    1918-11-01 · Oslo, Norway

    Rachmaninoff and his family boarded the SS Bergensfjord in Oslo, beginning their Atlantic crossing to New York.

28. Arrival in New York

    1918-11-12 · Sherry-Netherland, New York City, New York, United States

    Rachmaninoff arrived in New York after an eleven-day voyage from Oslo and stayed at the Sherry-Netherland hotel. The arrival date is calculated directly from the stated 1 November departure and eleven-day voyage.

29. First American recital after emigration

    1918-12-08 · Providence, Rhode Island, United States

    Rachmaninoff gave the first recital of his 1918–19 American season in Providence. The source does not identify the recital venue; coordinates represent central Providence.

30. Family break in San Francisco

    1919-04-01 · San Francisco, California, United States

    After completing his first American tour, Rachmaninoff took his family to San Francisco to recover and prepare for the next season.

31. Holiday in Goshen

    1920-01-01 · Goshen, New York, United States

    During a family holiday in Goshen, New York, Rachmaninoff learned of Nikolai Struve’s accidental death. The source specifies summer 1920 but does not provide a month.

32. Residence at 33 Riverside Drive

    1921-01-01 · 33 Riverside Drive, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States

    After leaving the hospital, Rachmaninoff bought an apartment at 33 Riverside Drive on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The surrounding text dates the purchase to early 1921; the exact purchase date is not supplied.

33. Family reunion in Dresden

    1922-01-01 · Dresden, Saxony, Germany

    After his London concerts, Rachmaninoff reunited with the Rachmaninoff and Satin families in Dresden before a demanding concert season. The source follows the May 1922 London visit but gives no more precise date for the Dresden reunion.

34. First European visit after emigration

    1922-05-01 · London, England, United Kingdom

    Rachmaninoff returned to Europe for the first time since emigrating, giving concerts in London.

35. Summer residence at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines

    1929-01-01 · Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, Île-de-France, France

    Rachmaninoff began spending his summers at Clairefontaine-en-Yvelines, where he met fellow Russian émigrés and his daughters. 1929 is the beginning of the stated 1929–31 summer-residence period.

36. Composing at Villa Senar

    1934-01-01 · Villa Senar, Hertenstein, Weggis, Switzerland

    

    At his Swiss home, Villa Senar, Rachmaninoff completed Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The immediately preceding text identifies his home as Villa Senar near Hertenstein on Lake Lucerne.

37. Arthritis retreat in Aix-les-Bains

    1936-01-01 · Aix-les-Bains, France

    Rachmaninoff went to Aix-les-Bains to improve his arthritis. The year is inferred from the preceding early-1934 chronology and the phrase “Two years later.”

38. Henry Wood jubilee concert

    1938-01-01 · Royal Albert Hall, London, England, United Kingdom

    Rachmaninoff performed his Second Piano Concerto at a charity jubilee concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall.

39. Final European concert

    1939-08-11 · Lucerne, Switzerland

    After recovering from an injury at Villa Senar, Rachmaninoff performed at the Lucerne International Music Festival in what became his final concert in Europe. The source does not identify the festival venue; coordinates represent central Lucerne.

40. Final family gathering in Paris before wartime departure

    1939-08-13 · Paris, France

    Rachmaninoff returned to Paris after his final European concert and was reunited there with his wife and daughters before leaving Europe. The date is calculated from the stated 11 August Lucerne performance and “two days later.”

41. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in New York

    1939-11-26 · New York City, New York, United States

    Rachmaninoff performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra in New York City in a series marking the thirtieth anniversary of his American debut. The source does not identify the New York venue; coordinates represent central Manhattan.

42. Rest at Orchard's Point

    1940-01-01 · Orchard's Point, near Huntington, New York, United States

    Following the 1939–40 concert season, Rachmaninoff spent the summer recuperating at Orchard’s Point near Huntington on Long Island. The chronology indicates the summer following the 1939–40 season; coordinates are an approximate representative point near Huntington.

43. Recording at the Philadelphia Academy of Music

    1941-01-01 · Philadelphia Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

    Rachmaninoff was in Philadelphia during his late recording period, which included recordings of concertos and his Third Symphony at the Academy of Music. The source gives a recording period spanning December 1939–February 1942 rather than an individual session date; 1941 represents the intervening year.

44. Moved to Beverly Hills

    1942-05-01 · Beverly Hills, California, United States

    Seeking a warmer climate for his health, Rachmaninoff and his wife initially settled in a leased Beverly Hills home. The source identifies Tower Road but not a house number; coordinates represent Beverly Hills.

45. Performance at the Hollywood Bowl

    1942-07-01 · Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California, United States

    Shortly after appearing at the Hollywood Bowl, Rachmaninoff was suffering from fatigue and lumbago.

46. Naturalization ceremony

    1943-02-01 · New York City, New York, United States

    Rachmaninoff and Natalia became naturalized United States citizens at a New York City ceremony. The specific ceremony venue is not identified in the source.

47. Final concerto appearances in Chicago

    1943-02-11 · Chicago Symphony Hall, Chicago, Illinois, United States

    Rachmaninoff’s final appearances as a concerto soloist were with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Hans Lange. The source gives two consecutive appearances, 11–12 February; this card uses the first date.

48. Final piano recital

    1943-02-17 · University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

    Rachmaninoff gave his last recital as a pianist at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The source does not identify the campus recital hall; coordinates represent the university campus.

49. Death in Beverly Hills

    1943-03-28 · 610 North Elm Drive, Beverly Hills, California, United States

    Rachmaninoff died at his Beverly Hills home at age sixty-nine. The preceding biography identifies the home as 610 North Elm Drive.