When Bertensson and Leyda's 1956 biography appeared, it lifted the veil of secrecy from several areas of of the intensely private Sergei Rachmaninoff's (1873-1943) life, especially concerning the genesis of his compositions and how their critical reception affected him. David Cannata's new introduction summarizes what has happened in Rachmaninoff scholarship since the book was first published.

When Bertensson and Leyda's 1956 biography appeared, it lifted the veil of secrecy from several areas of of the intensely private Sergei Rachmaninoff's (1873-1943) life, especially concerning the genesis of his compositions and how their critical reception affected him. David Cannata's new introduction summarizes what has happened in Rachmaninoff scholarship since the book was first published.