Sometimes wrongly dismissed as superficial, Rachmaninov nonetheless remains one of the world’s best-loved composers. Yet the popularity of his best-known pieces has eclipsed other masterpieces such as the ‘All-Night Vigil’ and ‘The Isle of the Dead’. We shall review a cross-section of characteristic works, and assess the circumstances which led to his flight from Russia and the launch of a career as one of the leading pianists of his day.