Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - 18th Variation for cello and piano; Sergei Rachmaninoff (Boosey & Hawkes)

18th Variation from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for cello and piano by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Arranged by John York. Edited by Raphael Wallfisch. Published by Boosey & Hawkes

Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was the last major Russian Romantic composer, writing in the tradition of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov and forming an idiomatic style characterized by tuneful melodies and richly scored, full harmonies. He was one of the foremost virtuoso pianists of his time, which is often reflected in his writing. He wrote in a variety of forms, though his best known for his piano concertos and solo piano works.

Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (1934) is sometimes considered his fifth piano concerto. It is a set of 24 variations on the last and most famous of Paganini's caprices for solo violin. By far the most famous of the variations is the 18th, a slow, achingly romantic inversion of the Paganini melody. The 18th variation is presented here in a sensitive and idiomatic arrangement by John York for cello and piano. Advanced level, Grade 5.