Sergey Rachmaninov (1873-1943)
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in A minor, Op. 43 (1934), Variation 18: Andante cantabile
Nikolai Lugansky, soloist
Stanislav Kochanovsky conducting Orchestre de Paris, 2019
“In Lucerne, Horowitz reveled in his close proximity to Rachmaninoff and was flattered when the older man would consult him on a work-in-progress. For instance, in 1934, when composing his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Rachmaninoff telephoned him nearly every day: "I have a new variation to play for you," he would announce. The composer's caustic humor about his own works endlessly amused Horowitz. "I have composed this one for my manager," he joked about the eighteenth variation. "Well, maybe this will save the piece." “
“Horowitz: A Biography of Vladimir Horowitz” by Glenn Plaskin