"If there was a conservatory in Hell, and one of its talented pupils was asked to compose a programmatic symphony based on the Seven Plagues of Egypt, if he were to write something resembling Mr Rachmaninov’s symphony, he would surely have arrived at the perfect solution, and would no doubt thoroughly entertain all of Hell’s creatures." This brutal critique of Rachmaninoff's first symphony led to a three-year-long hiatus from the composer, who lost all motivation to create music. But the results of those years led to Rachmaninoff restarting anew with a different sight and inspiration. He then wrote his second symphony and premiered it in 1908. This sparked a new type of critique: "Despite his 34 years [Rachmaninov] is one of the most significant figures in the contemporary music world, a worthy successor to Tchaikovsky. After listening with unflagging attention to its four movements, one notes with surprise that the hands of the watch have moved forward 65 minutes. This might be ove...