​Sergei Rachmaninov composed his Piano Concerto No. 2 between June 1900 and April 1901, which established his fame as a composer. After Rachmaninov’s disastrous First Symphony’s premiere in 1897, he was depressed and suffered a mental breakdown. His family introduced him to Dr Nikolai Dahl, who visited him daily from January to April 1900, and treated him until he recovered. Rachmaninov subsequently dedicated the Piano Concerto No. 2 to Dr. Dahl. The second and third movements were completed first and Rachmaninov performed them in Moscow on December 15, 1900. It was well received, which encouraged him to continue work on the first movement, finishing it in April 1901. On October 27 1901, the Piano Concerto premiered at the Moscow Philharmonic Society, with Rachmaninov on the piano, and his cousin, Alexander Siloti, as conductor. Rachmaninov and his family escaped to the United Staes of America after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia. 
 
Here’s a list of albums on the Piano Concerto No. 2:
Piano Concertos 1 & 2, Leif Ove Andsnes with Antonio Pappano with Berliner Philharmoniker. Label: Warner Classics.
 
Destination rachmaninov Departure Piano Concertos 2 & 4, Daniil Trifonov with Yannick Nezet-Seguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.
 
Rachmaninov Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Krystian Zimerman with Seiji Ozawa and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.
 
Rachmaninov Piano Concertos 1 - 4, Vladimir Ashkenazy with Andre Previn and London Symphony Orchestra. Label: Decca.

Reference: Schwarm, B., (2023, December 3), Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 Musical Composition by Rachmaninoff, Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Piano-Concerto-No-2-Rachmaninoff

 ​Joseph Haydn composed The Seven Last Words of Our Saviour on the Cross, an orchestral work in 1786. It was commissioned for the Good Friday service at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva (Hole Cave Oratory) in Cadiz, Spain, by its priest, Don Jose Saenz de Santa Maria. A cake filled with gold coins was sent to Haydn as payment for the composition. Thereafter, it was performed in Berlin, Paris, Rome and Vienna. It was published in 1787. Haydn subsequently adapted the music for string quartet, solo piano and an oratorio. There are seven meditative sections, labelled as sonatas, each based on the last seven words of Christ taken from the Gospels during His crucifixion in chronological order, framed by an introduction and a finale. The music is purposely slow, restrained, and somber. 
 
Here are my favourite versions:
Haydn The Seven Last Words, Riccardo Muti with Berliner Philharmoniker (Orchestral). Label: Philips Classics.
 
Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlosers am Kreuze, Cuarteto Casals (String Quartet). Label: Harmonia Mundi.
 
The Last Seven Words of Our Saviour on the Cross Opus 51, Quatuor Mosaiques (String Quartet). Label: Naive.
 
The Seven Last Words of Christ, Nicolas Stavy (Solo Piano). Label: BIS.
 
Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlosers am Kreuze, Nikolaus Harnoncourt with Arnold Schoenberg Chor and Concentus Musicus Wien (Choral). Label: Teldec.
 
Die sieben letzten Worte unseres Erlosers am Kreuze, Andreas Spering with Capella Augustina, Jose Naria Sanchez-Verdu with Sheba (Choral). Label: Avi Music. 

Reference: Laurson, J.F., (2018, March 30), Music for Easter: Joseph Haydn’s Seven Last Words, Forbes. 
​https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenslaurson/2018/03/30/music-for-easter-joseph-haydns-seven-last-words/?sh=75fa249c35db

​Antonin Dvorak was born in Nelahozeves, a small village in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic, on September 8, 1841. He grew up in a musical household and learnt to play the violin and piano at a young age. While studying music in Prague, he married his fellow student, Anna Cermakova in 1873, and they had nine children together. But only four survived. His music reflected his Czech roots and love for his homeland’s folk music, with evocative melodies and rich harmonies. A prolific composer, Dvorak included in his repertoire chamber music, choral pieces, operas, and symphonies. His Symphony No. 9, ‘From the New World’, composed in 1893, while he was the Director of the National Conservatory of Music of America, is Dvorak’s most famous work. It was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic and premiered on December 16 1893 at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Anton Seidl. It reflected his fascination with African-American spirituals and Native American folk music. 
 
Here are a few albums for your listening pleasure:
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’, Marin Alsop with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Label: Naxos.
 
Antonin Dvorak Symphonies Nos. 7 - 9, Gustavo Dudamel with Los Angeles Philharmonic. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.
 
Dvorak Symphonie No. 9, Herbert von Karajan with Wiener Philharmoniker. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.
 
Antonin Dvorak Symphonien Nos. 8 & 9, Rafael Kubelik with Berliner Philharmoniker. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.

Reference: Schwarm, B., (2023, December 22), New World Symphony Work by Dvorak, Brittannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antonin-Dvorak

​Pyotr Iiyich Tchaikovsky composed his Piano Concerto No. 1, one of the best known of all piano concerti, between November 1874 and February 1875. When Tchaikovsky played this new piece to his close friends, Nikolay Rubinstein and Nikolay Hubert, the former’s critical evaluation of the Concerto deeply insulted him, and he withdrew his intention to dedicate it to him. The Concerto was first performed on October 25, 1875 by the German pianist Hans von Bulow in Boston, with the orchestra conducted by Benjamin Johnson Lang. It was enthusiastically received by the audience, and performances soon followed in New York, London, Germany, Paris, St. Petersburg, Moscow and other European ciities. Subsequently, Tchaikovsky revised his Piano Concerto No. 1 three times, the last in 1889. This last version is the one that is most commonly performed today. 
 
Here are a few albums for your listening pleasure:
Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2, Denis Matsuev with Valery Gergiev and Mariinsky Orchestra. Label: Mariinsky.
 
Tchaikovsky The Three Piano Concertos, Stephen Hough with Osmo Vanska and Minnesota Orchestra. Label: Hyperion.
 
Tchaikovsky - Medtner First Piano Concertos, Yevgeny Sudbin with John Neschling and Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra. Label: BIS.
 
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1, Martha Argerich with Claudio Abbado and Berliner Philharmoniker. Label: Deutsche Grammophon.

Reference: Schwarm, B., (2014, March 19), Piano Concerto No.1 in B-flat Minor, Op. 23, Work by Tchaikovsky, Britannica. 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Piano-Concerto-No-1-in-B-flat-Minor