Perhaps the most renowned composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff during his lifetime was the Prelude in c-sharp minor. Fresh from his studies at the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, he wrote it as part of a group of five Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, but it was during his concert tours after he left Russia in 1917 that the piece invariably was demanded on his programs (and if he did not play it as part of the concert, it was demanded as an encore). Whatever his thoughts about the piece at the time he wrote it, he certainly never envisioned a cycle of preludes in all the major and minor keys. Nevertheless, he returned to the genre in 1901, composing a work in g minor (it would become No. 5 in his next collection), and in 1903 wrote nine others, publishing the group as his Op. 23. Rachmaninoff would complete the cycle of keys with 13 additional preludes, composed in 1910 and published as Op. 32. Although each collection is carefully arranged to alternate mood and key, there is otherwise no strict logic to the sequence, nor, as with the two collections of études-tableaux, is there a need to perform them as a group. Alessio Bax
Although less assertive than his later works, the Prelude in C sharp minor won Rachmaninov much of his early popularity and became a frequently requested encore in concert. With its attractive 'dark-hued' disposition, it is impressive that this work was composed even before his graduation from the Conservatoire in St Petersburg in 1891.
Prelude In C Sharp Minor Rachman
This prelude adopts a mysterious quality thanks to the recurring dotted rhythmic motif. Tonal ambiguity constantly asks the listener to interpret whether the piece leans more towards a major or minor tonal world.
The "Prelude in C-sharp minor" (Op. 3, No. 2) belongs to a set of five piano pieces titled "Morceaux de fantaisie", which Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff composed in 1892. Also known as "The Bells of Moscow" thanks to its introductory chords, it became on of his most famous compositions!
I was surprised to read (in the same interview I referred toearlier) that Osborne considers the shape of his hands to be wrong forRachmaninoff. You'd never know it from the performances. Given thefinger-busting complexity of their kaleidoscopic demands---each prelude presentsa different technical challenge from the one that precedes or follows it---theseworks are as consistently difficult as anything in the solo piano repertory.Osborne plays them with an authority, a purity of expression, and an honestythat is both luminous and self-effacing. Just about every pianist has had a goat the famous C sharp minor prelude, but Osborne's intensely concentrated,dramatic performance makes it sound newly minted.
This piano music is the Prelude in C-sharp minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff. This was first published as the 2nd movement in the composer's "Morceaux de Fantaisie" (Fantasy Pieces) Op.3. It appears that Rachmaninoff later decided to write a total of 24 preludes, one in each major and minor key, just as other composers had done. Maybe the instant popularity of the Prelude helped to convince him. (One of the other 24 preludes is the G-minor and a link to this piece is in the left-hand menu.) The C-sharp minor prelude has a fast middle section, and when the slow section returns, not only is it marked sfff and then sffff to indicate very loudly accented, but each of the pianist's two hands are spread over two staves for clarity. Below is a video of the sheet music being played in Sibelius, or scroll down to play the mp3 file and see the sheet music PDF. You can download this sheet music in PDF format, and the corresponding midi and mp3 files using the links in the left-hand menu.
Nikolai Demidenko's selection of Rachmaninov's solo piano works is perfect for anyone looking for a moody, atmospheric accompaniment to a session of solitary brooding. The majority of what's on this disc is so-called Études and Préludes, but Rachmaninov made them much more like character pieces than standard musical exercises. And many pianists would and do exploit them for theatrical effect. Even though he does play with visceral excitement, Demidenko is understated by comparison. That is exactly what makes his program so satisfying. There's room in it for the listener to feel the music as well and completely get inside it. Demidenko doesn't hit the listener over the head with bombastic, florid prose. His natural and flawless-sounding technique is part of the key to this. He can handle anything Rachmaninov wrote, whether it's the wide leaps of chords in the Prelude in G minor, Op. 23/5, or the wide-ranging arpeggios of the Étude-tableau in E flat minor, Op. 39/5, with ease that allows any technical issues of Rachmaninov's writing take a backseat -- very far back -- to the emotions in each short work. For those who pick this up specifically for the works that are included, note that Demidenko chose to do all of the Morceau de Fantaisie, Op. 3, as a group, which is slightly unusual, so there is the famous Prelude in C sharp minor and Mélodie, and there's also the aforementioned military march-like Prelude in G minor. The only thing that could be improved in this recording is the sound, which is cold and a little too distant. Otherwise, there is nothing in Demidenko's performance that doesn't deserve enthusiastic recommendation.
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