# Villa Senar > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Villa_Senar > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Villa_Senar.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Senar > Source revision: 1335175476 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Estate in Switzerland A view of the Villa Senar **Villa Senar** is an estate built in [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland) by the [Russian](/source/Russians) composer [Sergei Rachmaninoff](/source/Sergei_Rachmaninoff). He purchased the plot of land near [Hertenstein](/source/Hertenstein%2C_Lucerne) on the shores of [Lake Lucerne](/source/Lake_Lucerne) in 1932. The name of the estate originated from the names of Rachmaninoff and his wife: Sergei and Natalia, by combining the first two letters of each given name and the first of their surname.[1] The architects of the very modern design were the Swiss architects Alfred Möri and Karl Friedrich Krebs. The villa was designed to remind Rachmaninoff of the estate of [Ivanovka](/source/Ivanovka_estate) the family had in southern Russia before the [October Revolution](/source/October_Revolution) and their migration to Western Europe in 1918. A park and a magnificent [rose garden](/source/Rose_garden) were laid at Senar. The Rachmaninoffs spent every summer at Senar until their final migration to the United States in 1939 at the outbreak of [World War II](/source/World_War_II). Two of Rachmaninoff's major compositions were written at Senar: *[Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini](/source/Rhapsody_on_a_Theme_of_Paganini)* completed in 1934 and the [Third symphony](/source/Symphony_No._3_(Rachmaninoff)) completed in 1936. The villa hosted famous Russian immigrants, including [Ivan Bunin](/source/Ivan_Bunin) and [Vladimir Horowitz](/source/Vladimir_Horowitz). Rachmaninoff left Senar for the last time on 16 August 1939, going to [Paris](/source/Paris) and preparing to move to [New York City](/source/New_York_City). In 2013, it was reported that Russia was interested in purchasing the Villa and preserve it in memory of Rachmaninoff.[2] After the death of Rachmaninoff, the villa stayed in possession of the family.[2] His grand child Alexandre Rachmaninoff Conus established the Rachmaninoff foundation.[1] After the death of Rachmaninoff Conus, his will mentioned Lucerne as a possible inheritor, but it was not worded properly enough. In order to prevent a possible legal case between Lucerne and his descendants the [Canton Lucerne](/source/Canton_of_Lucerne) bought the estate in 2022 and on the 1 April 2023, the 150th birthday of Rachmaninoff, the Villa was made accessible to the public.[2] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) ["Sergei Rachmaninoff"](https://rachmaninoff.ch/). *Sergei Rachmaninoff* (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2023-04-01. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:1_2-2) ["Villa öffnet als Kulturzentrum - Luzern steckt Millionen in die Villa von Starpianist Rachmaninoff"](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/villa-oeffnet-als-kulturzentrum-luzern-steckt-millionen-in-die-villa-von-starpianist-rachmaninoff). *Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)* (in German). 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-04-01. ## External links - [Михаил Шишкин, Русская Швейцария](http://magazines.russ.ru/druzhba/2001/4/shish.html) - [Photographs of Villa Senar taken during production of *The Joy of Rachmaninoff*, BBC Four](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03c89mx/p03c8njk) - [Brochure with drawings, plans & pictures](https://www.rachmaninoff.org/images/PDF/SENAR_flyer_Web.pdf), v t e Sergei Rachmaninoff List of compositions Opera Aleko The Miserly Knight Francesca da Rimini Salammbô Monna Vanna Concerto Piano Concerto No. 1 in F♯ minor Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor Orchestral Symphonies Youth Symphony Symphony No. 1 in D minor Symphony No. 2 in E minor The Bells Symphony No. 3 in A minor Scherzo in D minor Suite in D minor Prince Rostislav The Rock Caprice bohémien Isle of the Dead Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Symphonic Dances Vocal All-Night Vigil Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Spring The Bells Three Russian Songs Vocalise Chamber Morceaux de salon Trio élégiaque No. 1 Trio élégiaque No. 2 Cello Sonata in G minor Suite No. 1 for two pianos Suite No. 2 for two pianos Russian Rhapsody Polka Italienne Solo piano Morceaux de fantaisie Morceaux de salon Six moments musicaux Variations on a Theme of Chopin Piano Sonata No. 1 in D minor Études-Tableaux, Op. 33 Piano Sonata No. 2 in B♭ minor Études-Tableaux, Op. 39 Variations on a Theme of Corelli Polka de W.R. Étude in F♯ major Lento in D minor Four Pieces Three Nocturnes Piece (Canon) in D minor Four Improvisations Morceau de Fantaisie in G minor Fughetta in F major Three Pieces Miscellaneous Preludes Prelude in C♯ minor Preludes, Op. 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Preludes, Op. 32 Prelude in F major Recognitions Conservatoire Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff (crater) Related Sergei Rachmaninoff recordings Music written in all major or minor keys Ivanovka estate Villa Senar Romanticism Category Authority control databases: Geographic MusicBrainz place [47°01′52″N 8°23′52″E / 47.0312°N 8.3978°E / 47.0312; 8.3978](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Villa_Senar¶ms=47.0312_N_8.3978_E_source:wikidata) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Villa Senar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Senar) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Senar?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.