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Arts & Communication Artists recreating our world

Making the arts central to social and business activities He learned very quickly that some people may be
in the post-pandemic world creates a virtuous circle supportive and trustworthy, as were Dr Dahl and Rimsky-
where artists reflect on their practice, morphing and Korsakov. He also recognized that some men could not
changing in the process, while adding value to non-arts be trusted despite their talents and reputation, as with
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activities such as constructing roads, bridges, railways, and Glazunov.
buildings. Fulfilling this agenda is a major undertaking, Obstructive and jealous colleagues may potentially
and Rachmaninoff provides resources for us to draw on to thwart our development as we seek to express the voice
realize our ambitions. that we have developed over time. Therefore, it is important
Rachmaninoff died over 70 years ago; yet, his legacy to figure out those who are trustworthy, those who seek
lives on in concert halls around the globe. Any orchestra us harm, and those whom we imagined may have been
that performs the second or third piano concertos will opposed to us but who were instead only trying to help.
guarantee full houses. In particular, the third piano Recovering from the kind of devastating sense of failure
concerto (D minor, Op. 30) makes demands on soloists that Rachmaninoff experienced cannot usually be done
that seem almost super-human, as shown in the epigraphs alone. It requires sympathetic and supportive companions
that open this paper. In this concerto, he demonstrated who understand the impacts on confidence levels and who
that he had recovered from the debilitating depression that have the kinds of skills necessary to help us through the
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nearly ended his composing career and went on to create dark periods of crippling self-doubt. Moreover, it requires
a work of dazzling brilliance. This is not just due to the courage on our part to seek help from mentors, especially
display of technical wizardry that a soloist may show on when we feel a loss of face that comes with public failure.
stage. Indeed, it is that the music itself offers a sense of Certainly, sustaining a career as an artist involves
consolation to audience members. continuous struggle, and the temptation to settle for an
Rachmaninoff has made a profound contribution to easier way is ever-present. Yet, the inner drive to create
humanity, and his ability to connect with us even beyond continually nags and presses for attention. Rachmaninoff
the grave through his compositions continues to stir our was not the prolific composer in his later years that he was
imaginations and move our hearts. His compositions are in his youth. Yet, his compositions are still performed,
not radical harmonically or structurally, but they lead and they continue to engage audiences. The 1996 movie
listeners to emotional encounters that are deeply felt. This Shine celebrates the profundity of his compositions and the
ability to move people emotionally developed out of the extreme difficulties performers have in learning his works.
David Helfgott’s story in that movie demonstrates the
rich collegial environment in which he grew up and his hues and complexities of Rachmaninoff’s life. They both
period of depression.
suffered from a sense of failure, and both make sense of
Artists do not work in isolation but in the community. that failure in their own unique ways.
Although Rachmaninoff possessed advanced talents, Rachmaninoff’s backstory to his celebrated works is
he learned his craft through long hours of practice and in-and-of-itself interesting. However, his story has much
oftentimes severe supervision, and as he developed as a to offer us today as we contemplate living in our post-
composer, those around him played an important role in pandemic world. We have choices to make.
his formation. His love affairs, seen in the dedication of his
song Op 4, “Oh, no, I beg you, don’t forsake me” to “AL” There will be social, business, and political pressures to
Anna Lodyzhenskya, the Gypsy wife of Pyotr Lodyzhensky return to the past and to carry on as when we left off in
reveals “a hopeless infatuation,” (p. 65) a “passionate and January 2020. Yet, the pandemic has offered humanity a
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powerful [nature] over which he struggled to maintain collective pause, time to reassess and reset how we want to
control throughout his life.” (p. 24) 18 live in the future.
The professional friendships he developed and the Rachmaninoff may act as our guide as we tackle the
mentors who worked with him were all crucial to his residual mental and physical health issues that COVID-19
learning. These helped to navigate the treacherous politics has brought in its wake. His treatment from Dr Dahl and
of his world, skills that enabled him to live well in a new mentoring from experienced seniors are examples of how
country while maintaining a lifelong emotional connection we might recover. To be sure, we cannot recover alone,
with the spirit of his homeland. In effect, Rachmaninoff and as we recreate our communities, we can, together help
learned to develop his own network of relationships and share the burdens and joys of recovery.
to “strategically navigate” (p. 389) his way through the Rachmaninoff’s works continue to inspire, entertain,
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plethora of competing interests within those networks. challenge, and console, all features that reinforce the

Volume 2 Issue 1 (2024) 11 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.2126