Lugansky Plays Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini with Berlin Phil

Piano - Nikolai Lugansky

Orchestra - Berlin Phil , Tugan Sokhiev

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,” Op. 43, composed in 1934 during his later years in Switzerland, is a brilliant set of 24 variations for piano and orchestra based on Niccolò Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor for solo violin. Structured as a single continuous movement, it is in effect a piano concerto in miniature, with its own dramatic arc and contrasts of mood. The work opens with a brief orchestral introduction before the famous theme is stated in crisp, clear articulation, immediately launching into rapid-fire variations that showcase Rachmaninoff’s gift for inventive transformation. The composer moves seamlessly between dazzling virtuosity, playful lightness, and intense lyricism, often using the Dies Irae plainchant motif—his lifelong musical signature—to cast a shadow over the sparkling Paganini theme. One of the most striking moments comes with Variation 18, a lush, soaring inversion of the theme in D-flat major, where the once-playful melody is transformed into a sweeping, romantic song that has become one of Rachmaninoff’s most beloved creations. This lyrical respite is surrounded by brilliant and often devilishly difficult passages requiring fleet fingerwork, massive chords, wide leaps, and precise coordination between piano and orchestra. The final variations accelerate with relentless energy, bringing back the Paganini theme in fiery form before ending in a witty, abrupt conclusion, as if the devil himself has vanished in a puff of smoke. The “Rhapsody” is celebrated for its perfect balance of pianistic brilliance, orchestral color, and thematic ingenuity, making it both a technical tour de force and a deeply engaging work for audiences and performers alike.


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