LIVING WITH DEPRESSION
Allan G. Hedberg, Ph.D.

The year of 1873 was blessed by the birth of one of the world’s greatest pianist and composers, Sergei Rachmaninov (Rachmaninoff). He was born in Russia and died in Beverly Hills, California in 1943.

In between 1873 and 1943, Rachmaninov became a legendary composer and pianist. He immigrated to the United States after the Communist Revolution of 1817 and became the highest paid concert star of his time and one of the most influential pianists of the 20th century.

He was the fourth of six children. The childhood years for him and his family were generally happy. He studied music with his mother starting at age 4 and continued throughout his years of playing and composing . He toured the United States and other countries impressing crowds with his brilliance on the piano. “The Bells” was considered his best work written in the early 1900’s. His premiere performance of the First Symphony took place in St. Petersburg in 1897. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a dismal failure, largely due to the conductor, Alexander Glazunov, conducting the symphony while inebriated.

The disappointment and shame to Rachmaninov and to the audience contributed to a severe depression which lasted for three years thereafter. During the three years he was unable to do any significant composing and essentially developed a writer’s block. His depression also was a response to the depression or the pressure it placed on him as the state church opposed his marriage.

After struggling with the depression over three years, he finally sought therapy from psychotherapist, Dr. Nikolay Dahl. He gradually recovered over the course of three to four months. Rachmaninov was able to return to his creative work and produced his second piano symphony in 1906-1907 which he dedicated to Dr. Dahl. Its premiere presentation was in 1908 in St. Petersburg with Rachmaninov at the podium to great applause.

Rachmaninov was dogged by depression for the rest of his life unfortunately with periodic times of incapacity and unproductivity. It is likely he lived the life of a bipolar depressed individual.

After his success in therapy, he composed the Second Symphony in 1906-1907. As one follows the musical theme of the Second Symphony, it is meaningful to imagine the life span of Rachmaninov in which he had periods of elation followed by great depression. This theme is reflected throughout the Second Symphony. The mood changing theme is reflected throughout the entire symphony ending on a notable crescendo, suggesting that his life was in an upbeat theme of elation at that time in his life’s journey.

Interestingly, Rachmaninov was obsessed with pianos. He owned three of them. He would only play a piano that was finely tuned. He traveled with a technician whose responsibility it was to tune the piano before Rachmaninov played. Also was his obsession with cars, particularly fast cars. He owned several of them. Again, he hired and maintained a car mechanic whose sole purpose was to maintain his luxury cars in top condition. One can only wonder if he bought his piano and cars while in a manic state of elation.