A “Misleading” Opus Number: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1

Abstract

This study evolves as an analysis of the two versions of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1, focusing on aspects such as theme, harmony, structure, rhythm, and texture, based on the two-piano scores. Composed twenty-six years apart, this concerto underwent some of the most extensive revisions among all of his revised works. By examining the composer’s different choices in the two versions of the concerto, this study aims to shed light on the evolution of Rachmaninoff’s musical style as well as provide a deeper understanding of the final version of the work.