Rachmaninoff suffered from a nervous breakdown after the disastrous performance of his “First Symphony in D minor.” He was unable to compose for 3 years but eventually recovered with the help of Dr. Nikolay Dahl. His “Second Piano Concerto” was dedicated to Dr. Dahl.
Rachmaninoff was quite a tall man, standing over 6 feet in height. He also had huge hands which enabled him to play large intervals on the keyboard. During his tour in the United States, he was offered the position of conductor for the Boston Symphony but he turned it down. He was married to Natalya Satina, his cousin, and became a U.S. citizen just a few weeks before he died on March 28, 1943.