Rachmaninov is classical No1 all by itself

RACHMANINOV’S Piano Concerto No 2 has been voted Britain’s favourite piece of classical music after the death of the pop star who “stole” it for All By Myself.

The music topped the annual Classic FM Hall of Fame poll for the second year running, but has received renewed attention following the death of singer-songwriter Eric Carmen last month.

Carmen sampled part of the melody from Russian-born Rachmaninov’s composition in his hit pop ballad All By Myself, recognisable to many as the track in a scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary when she is home alone with a bottle of Chardonnay.

The 1975 hit used Rachmaninov’s melody as the basis for the tune of Carmen’s verse. Although the Piano Concerto was in the public domain and copyright law no longer applied to it in the US, this was not the case elsewhere.

The Rachmaninov estate contacted Carmen after the album’s release – which was more than 30 years after the composer’s death – and together they agreed that he would get a songwriter credit and the estate would receive a 12 per cent share of the hit’s royalties.

Rachmaninov finished composing his classic concerto in 1901 and dedicated the piece to his doctor Nikolai Dahl, who had helped him through a difficult period of depression.

His music was followed on the Classic FM charts by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending, which was dethroned by Rachmaninov in 2023.

The top 300 pieces of classical music were played on the classical music radio station across the Easter weekend and the new No1 was revealed by breakfast presenter Dan Walker yesterday. He said: “The Classic FM Hall of Fame always gives us a window into our taste in music and 2024 is no different.

“Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 is an enduring and powerful piece, and remains the nation’s favourite.”

Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis is at number three on the Hall of Fame. Music from films continues to soar in popularity, according to the poll, which saw more than 100,000 votes cast by the public.

Some 39 entries are film scores, with John Williams, the US composer, taking the honour of the most popular living composer, with seven entries. His score for Schindler’s List is at number 10 on the list. His themes for Star Wars, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter also featured.