Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 was composed between October 1906 and April 1907, whilst the composer was living in Dresden, Germany. Rachmaninoff had lacked confidence in his abilities as a symphonist, following the disastrous premiere of his first symphony in 1897, and it took him nearly a decade to revisit the form. Deeply moving melodically, and rich in its orchestration and harmonic content, the hour-long work was premiered in St Petersburg in 1908, conducted by the composer. The Second Symphony was enthusiastically received by the audience and won the Glinka Award later that year. Since then, the symphony has become a mainstay of late romantic orchestral repertoire and remains one of Rachmaninoff’s most popular and enduring works.