Tune in Today: Rachmaninoff’s Hypnotic Piano Concerto No. 2

A Russian physician restored Sergei Rachmaninoff’s confidence, which allowed him to write one of his most famous works.

Sergei Rachmaninoff put his heart into his work, creating beautiful piano concertos. Public Domain

The year was 1900, and Sergei Rachmaninoff was unable to write.

His promising career had stalled out. Audiences had loved his Prelude in C-sharp minor, his breakout work. But disaster followed. His Symphony No. 1 in D minor crashed. A young love affair went sideways, and Rachmaninoff broke down, devastated. Now, he was unable to compose. He didn’t composed anything for three years. His abilities as a pianist remained, but the wellspring of creativity had dried up.