Written in memory of Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Trio élégiaque in D minor, Opus 9 is a piano trio begun on 5 October and completed on 15 December 1893. It was first performed in Moscow on 31 January 1894 with Rachmaninoff himself playing the piano part.
Contents
Structure
It is in three movements:
The first movement starts with a sombre tone, and erupts violently near the end.
The second movement consists of variations upon the first theme.
The final movement, although short, is dominated by the unceasingly powerful and dramatic piano part.
This piano trio is similar to Tchaikovsky's Trio in A minor, which was dedicated to Nikolai Rubinstein, in that it follows the same basic structure.
Orchestrations
The Australian pianist Alan Kogosowski has orchestrated the trio as a piano concerto, called Concerto Élégiaque in D minor, Op. 9b. This has been recorded by Neeme Järvi and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with Kogosowski as soloist.