Calgary has been home to the Honens International Piano competition since 1992, and some of today’s greatest pianists can be regularly seen on stage at places like Jack Singer Concert Hall and the Bella Concert Hall, but which icon of the keyboard played cowtown during the roaring twenties?
We often think of famous performers of the past having glamorous careers traveling between beautiful castles and historic grand theatres of Europe, but this was not always the case. Sergei Rachmaninoff started a career as a touring pianist to support his family after leaving Russia without most of his possessions. Having settled in the USA, he often would give 60-70 performances a year. This included dozens of performances in Canada during his career. Spending weeks and months on tour had its moments, but also difficulties. In Stockton, California, a review of the concert complained about the high school auditorium the concert took place in, calling the environment “barren and unattractive,” and complaining about the loud heating system. In February 1925, he found himself on tour in western Canada, including a performance in Calgary.
In 1925, Calgary had a population of less than 65,000, but Rachmaninoff was able to stay at the Palliser Hotel and give a solo performance at the Palace Theatre on Stephen Avenue. Unsure of what he would find in the places he visited, he apparently brought his own piano on tour with him. The program included music by Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Saint-Saens, and himself. The Prelude in c-sharp minor op. 3 no. 2 was his biggest hit, beloved by the public. He joked with friends that he wished he had never written the piece, but agreed to play it at almost every solo performance he gave, including at all performances on his western Canada tour, including the shows in Calgary, Victoria and Winnipeg.
--------
Written by Jonathan Gresl.