Rachmaninov's 'Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini' is a work for which solo instrument and orchestra?
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, (, "Rapsodiya na temu Paganini") is a concertante work written by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is written for solo piano and symphony orchestra, closely resembling a piano concerto, albeit in a single movement. The work was written at his Villa, the Villa Senar, in Switzerland, according to the score, from July 3 to August 18, 1934. Rachmaninoff himself, a noted interpreter of his own works, played the solo piano part at the piece's premiere at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore, Maryland, on November 7, 1934
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini to quote the Dies Irae plainchant melody. The slow eighteenth variation is by far the best known, and it is often included on classical music compilations without the rest of the work. It is based on an inversion of the melody of Paganini's theme. In other words, the A minor Paganini theme is literally played "upside down" in D major, with a few other changes. Rachmaninoff himself recognized the appeal of this variation, saying "This one, is for my agent." The 24th and last variation of the Rhapsody presents considerable technical difficulty for the pianist, and shortly before the Rhapsody's