Overview

This book presents new information about Rachmaninoff accessed from unique sources previously unavailable in English. From the extraordinary women who inspired him, to his humanitarian work, to his religion, Nollan interweaves Rachmaninoff's personal struggles and triumphs into his concert career.

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9781666917611

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Reviews

"""Among the many biographies of Rachmaninoff, this study is distinguished by its insights into how the composer's genius was formed by Russian life and culture, especially Russian Orthodoxy. Nollan's knowledge of Rachmaninoff's Russian worlds presents a more authentic understanding of him than we have had before. The book combines historical and cultural analysis with musicology and new details about the women in Rachmaninoff's life. It is extensively researched and reads easily, despite its layers of learning. Altogether a major work."" --Randall A. Poole, College of St. Scholastica ""Gracefully written and fully accessible to non-specialists, Valeria Z. Nollan's monograph is a meticulously researched reconstruction of the web of personal and professional relationships within which Rachmaninoff lived and worked, from childhood to his final years. While Nollan's religious interests do not dominate her book, her recurrent attention to Rachmaninoff's Russian Orthodox identity adds a welcome dimension to her portrait of the composer who authored what may be the world's best-known piece of modern Orthodox church music, the 1915 All-Night Vigil (Op. 37)."" --Paul Valliere, Butler University ""Meticulously researched, eminently readable, and full of intriguing new details, Valeria Nollan's thoughtful biography of Rachmaninoff takes us behind the public persona and timeless music with unique understanding and valuable insight. This book is a must read for any serious music lover."" --Vanessa Rogers, Rhodes College"

"""Among the many biographies of Rachmaninoff, this study is distinguished by its insights into how the composer's genius was formed by Russian life and culture, especially Russian Orthodoxy. Nollan's knowledge of Rachmaninoff's Russian worlds presents a more authentic understanding of him than we have had before. The book combines historical and cultural analysis with musicology and new details about the women in Rachmaninoff's life. It is extensively researched and reads easily, despite its layers of learning. Altogether a major work."" ""Gracefully written and fully accessible to non-specialists, Valeria Z. Nollan's monograph is a meticulously researched reconstruction of the web of personal and professional relationships within which Rachmaninoff lived and worked, from childhood to his final years. While Nollan's religious interests do not dominate her book, her recurrent attention to Rachmaninoff's Russian Orthodox identity adds a welcome dimension to her portrait of the composer who authored what may be the world's best-known piece of modern Orthodox church music, the 1915 All-Night Vigil (Op. 37)."" ""Meticulously researched, eminently readable, and full of intriguing new details, Valeria Nollan's thoughtful biography of Rachmaninoff takes us behind the public persona and timeless music with unique understanding and valuable insight. This book is a must read for any serious music lover."""

Author Information

Valeria Z. Nollan is professor emerita of Russian studies at Rhodes College.

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