
Symphony No. 1 in D minor (Op. 13)
I - Grave—Allegro Non Troppo
(Cui was wrong)
Symphony 1
- Rachmaninov: Hey, here's my first symphony! I hope you like it!
- Cesar Cui: If there were a conservatory in Hell, and if one of its talented students were to compose a programme symphony based on the story of the Ten Plagues of Egypt, and if he were to compose a symphony like Mr. Rachmaninoff's, then he would have fulfilled his task brilliantly and would delight the inhabitants of Hell. To us this music leaves an evil impression with its broken rhythms, obscurity and vagueness of form, meaningless repetition of the same short tricks, the nasal sound of the orchestra, the strained crash of the brass, and above all its sickly perverse harmonization and quasi-melodic outlines, the complete absence of simplicity and naturalness, the complete absence of themes.
- Rachmaninov: D: life over! I will never compose again! (until I receive therapy)
- Modern classical music listener: Who was Cesar Cui?
Знаете, что самое страшное в дураках? Они учат. Они убеждены, что вы без их мнения и дня не проживёте. И ещё страшнее то, что они искренне уверены в том, что они правы.
У кого что болит, тот о том и говорит. Дурак учит уму-разуму.



