Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: Variation 18

✨ The moment Rachmaninoff turns Paganini into poetry. This is Variation 18 from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini — the lush, cinematic heart of the work where Rachmaninoff flips Paganini’s theme upside down and turns it into one of the most romantic melodies ever written. 🌙 Performed here by Sa Chen at the 1996 Leeds International Piano Competition, with Sir Simon Rattle conducting the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. 🎹 Sergei Rachmaninoff – Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Variat