Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto has the fearful reputation of being one of the most technically difficult concertos of the piano repertoire. Rachmaninov himself put in extra hours to master it, bringing a silent practice piano with him on the boat on the way to the United States for its November 1909 premiere in New York City! Despite being the composer's favorite of his piano concertos, it was only through legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz's advocacy in the 1930s that the work became widely accepted.