Sunday Feature: Hypnotising Rachmaninov

After the disastrous premiere of his first symphony in 1897, Sergei Rachmaninov descended into a three-year period of deep depression, unable to compose, but was saved by a series of hypnosis sessions with Dr Nikolai Dahl. In this programme, Georgia Mann heads to Vienna to meet eminent hypnotherapist Dr Stella Nkenke to learn about the roots of medical hypnosis, and how the technique can be used to help musicians today. Georgia enlists broadcaster Matthew Sweet to understand how film and literature have shaped people's understanding of hypnotism today, and sits down with pianists Nikolai Lugansky and Katya Apekisheva and musicologist Marina Frolova-Walker to fidn out more about Rachmaninov's story via his glorious piano music