“Case of S. Rachmaninoff – R. Pugno”: The Facts and Conjectures

Abstract

Until very recently, the idea that the relationship between S. Rachmaninoff and R. Pugno was not very close dominated musical and cultural studies. The situation changed in the late 2010s – early 2020s when some researchers put forward a hypothesis about Rachmaninoff’s “involvement” in the tragic death of Pugno, which occurred in Moscow during a tour in 1913. They stated that Rachmaninoff allegedly refused to help a seriously ill French colleague who asked to replace him in the announced concert program. This situation caused financial difficulties for Pugno and maybe even his sudden death (from a heart attack). The article analyzes the limited and incomplete source base underlying such statements and highlights the obviously biased interpretation of the few archival materials supporting this hypothesis. It makes an alternative assumption regarding the possible source of the allegations against Rachmaninoff, which requires further verification based on archival research.