RACHMANINOFF Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini | Toby Tan

Many are the compositions based on Paganini’s 24th Caprice for Violin Solo. Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Lutosławski, Schnittke and even Andrew Lloyd Webber have fallen under the spell of the irresistible tune. But best known of all is surely Rachmaninoff’s interpretation, his last work for piano and orchestra, written in 1934 when he was 61. The world premiere was given on 7 November 1934 in Baltimore by the Philadelphia Orchestra with the composer as soloist.

The work begins with the curiously “misplaced” first variation (following an 8-bar introduction); only then do we hear the theme in its original form, played by violins with piano accentuations. Variations 2-5 all retain rhythmic tautness and drive. Only in Variation 6 does a more rhythmically free and sentimental tone creep in.

A new theme enters at Variation 7, that old funeral chant, the Dies irae, which Rachmaninoff had incorporated into so many of his works and also bears a melodic kinship to Paganini’s. The Dies irae returns in Variation 10, a grotesque march. In between Variations 8 and 9, a demonic quality arises, especially in Variation 9, with its col legno, tappings and frenzied rhythmic conflict between orchestra and soloist.

Variation 11 is essentially a highly florid cadenza with a true rhapsodic flavour to it. Two variations in D minor follow: one a nostalgic, wistful minuet set to Paganini’s fragmented theme; the other a sturdy pronouncement of the theme, still in triple meter, in a more straightforward presentation. Variations 14 and 15 are in F major, with the latter almost entirely for piano alone.

Dark, ominous, even ghostly stirrings seem to emanate from the B-flat minor Variation 16, music of chamber-delicacy and transparency. The soloist gropes in strange, remote harmonic regions in Variation 17.

Suddenly, as if emerging into the light of day, we hear the sounds of an old friend softly intoned: that famous Variation 18 in that most romantic of keys, D-flat major. This lush, glorious melody is no intrusion, for like the Dies irae, it too bears a melodic relationship to the Paganini theme; in fact, it is almost an inverted image of it.

The music proceeds swiftly to its conclusion, each variation more scintillating than the last. Brief cadenzas conclude Variations 22 and 23; Variation 24 leads directly into the coda. The Dies irae blares out full force in the brass. The gathering momentum and dazzling passage work for the soloist lead one to expect a conclusion of overwhelming bravura and force, but at the last moment, Rachmaninoff pulls back and, as if with a wicked chuckle, ends his Rhapsody with a final, lost fragment of the memorable theme. (Robert Markow)


Recorded live at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore, on 13 Sep 2024. Toby Tan performs as a soloist in the Singapore Symphony Orchestra's annual President's Young Performers Concert. Video: Poco Productions. Audio: msm-productions (Singapore)

About the pianist:
Born in 2008, Singaporean pianist Toby Tan started playing the piano at 7, making his first public performance the same year. He has performed at the Victoria and Esplanade Concert Halls (Singapore), Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and in Germany, Denmark, Italy, Poland, Greece, China, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

Toby performed his concerto debut at 10 with the Soliall Philharmonic (South Korea) and later the Kids’ Philharmonic, Salzburg Chamber Soloists, Virtuosi Brunenses, Maestoso Chamber Orchestras, T’ang Quartet and Ding Yi Music Company. In 2024, he performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Kids’ Philharmonic at the Berlin Philharmonie. He has also performed with jazz legend Jeremy Monteiro, violinist Chloe Chua and cellist Liu Jiaqi.

In 2023, Toby was awarded 1st prize and Carl Nielsen prize at the Aarhus International Piano Competition (Denmark) and 2nd prize in the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition for Young Musicians (China).

Toby is a Young Artist Programme student at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Albert Tiu, and studies privately with Armen Babakhanian in Kuala Lumpur. Teachers in his formative years include Rena Phua and Rosemery Halim.

Introduction 0:00
Variation 1 0:10
Theme 0:29
Variation 2 0:49
Variation 3 1:09
Variation 4 1:36
Variation 5 2:07
Variation 6 2:38
Variation 7: Meno mosso, a tempo moderato 3:48
Variation 8: Tempo I 4:56
Variation 9 5:31
Variation 10 6:02
Variation 11: Moderato 6:54
Variation 12: Tempo di minuetto 8:25
Variation 13: Allegro 9:50
Variation 14: L'istesso tempo 10:20
Variation 15: Più vivo scherzando 11:03
Variation 16: Allegretto 12:19
Variation 17 14:10
Variation 18: Andante cantabile 16:11
Variation 19: A tempo vivace 19:21
Variation 20 19:55
Variation 21 20:32
Variation 22: Marziale 20:58
Variation 23 22:42
Variation 24 23:39
Applause 24:54
Encore: Etude- Tableau No.6 (Op.36) 26:31