For the astonishing circumstances surrounding the composition of this most popular of Rachmaninov's works, see Symphony No.2 above. (At least, such is the official version of events, from Rachmaninov's autobiographical notes. The composer's grandson, Alexandre, claimed a rather different slant: the true reason for Rachmaninov's visits to the hypnotherapist Dr Nikolai Dahl was to court his daughter, who was the secret inspiration behind the concerto and remained a shadowy presence during the composer's subsequent married life.) But the reason why his next piece should be a piano concerto at all, is due to his visit to London in 1899, where he enjoyed such a success as conductor, pianist and composer that he was invited to return to play his First Piano Concerto. He felt this was too immature (he revised it in 1917 and 1920), and instead promised to write a “second and better” one. Already in the autumn of 1900 he performed the second and third movements in Moscow; they were highly successful, and the whole concerto received its premiere in November 1901. It was first heard in London in May 1902, but not until 1908 was Rachmaninov able to fulfil his promise to play it there himself.

sources

A  Autograph score (1900–01), in the Russian National Museum of Music, Moscow

E,P  First edition score and parts, published by A. Gutheil in 1901, reprinted identically by Boosey & Hawkes in 1947

There is a remarkably precise correlation between score and parts; in those few instances where we can identify a possible textual query, the parts carry the identical text to the score.