Villa Senar

The villa Rachmaninov or Senar in Hertenstein in the community Weggis in Switzerland was in the summer months of the years 1932 to 1939 the residence of the Russian composer, pianist and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff. He himself called his estate on the shores of Lake Lucerne Senar, an acronym consisting of the name of Sergei Rachmaninoff and Natalia.

History

Rachmaninov acquired the property in 1930 in the territory pinnacle in Hertenstein and let demolish an existing building. With the construction of the villa together with outbuildings and boat house he commissioned the architect Karl Friedrich Alfred Möri and cancer. The then state of the art building in the style of the new style, a flow of the Bauhaus style, were created in the years 1931-1933.

For the large park design significant landscaping and construction of a retaining wall near the lake were necessary. The boathouse the motorboat Rachmaninov was housed, with which he could reach Lucerne in about 15 minutes. For upscale lifestyle of the residents Senars also included exclusive cars with driver.

During the time at Lake Lucerne, including two of his later works were: The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op 43, and the Symphony No. 3, Op 44

1939 ended last visit Rachmaninov in Switzerland just before the outbreak of the Second World War. He returned to the U.S., where he died in 1943. Senar but remained family owned and has been inhabited over the course of decades by Rachmaninov's younger daughter Tatiana and her son Alexander, who died in 2012.

The villa and the outbuilding are still almost in its original state. The original interior is still largely preserved. In the studio since 1934 is on the grand piano, the Rachmaninoff was donated by Steinway & Sons. The archive contains over 500 photographs, 250 books from Rachmaninov's library and several hundred original letters. Clothing and other personal items round out the collection.

The listed building is now home to the Serge Rachmaninoff Foundation and to visitors only in the context of events available. In the autumn of 2013 it was announced that the Russian state sought to purchase the property.