Written over a period of 18 years, Rachmaninov's sets of Preludes are a mirror and a record of his compositional development. With so rich a variety of character, color, texture, and mood, no two preludes are fully alike, and differentiation of tempo and register ensures that each prelude's character is clearly defined. The first eleven pieces were conceived by Rachmaninov as a single cycle, and their full-hearted Romanticism contrasts with the significantly more angular, modernistic Op. 32. Whether evoking ballad or bell toll, the exotic or folk influences, the Preludes stand in the great tradition of works by Bach and Chopin written in all 24 major and minor keys.
1 Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op. 3: No. 2. Prélude in C-Sharp minor
2 10 Preludes, Op. 23
3 1 in F-Sharp minor: Largo
4 No. 2 in B-Flat Major: Maestoso
5 No. 3 in D minor: Tempo Di Minuetto
6 No. 4 in D Major: Andante Cantabile
7 No. 5 in G minor: Alla Marcia
8 No. 6 in E-Flat Major: Andante
9 No. 7 in C minor: Allegro
10 No. 8 in A-Flat Major: Allegro Vivace
11 No. 9 in E-Flat minor: Presto
12 No. 10 in G-Flat Major: Largo
13 13 Préludes, Op. 32
14 No. 1 in C Major: Allegro Vivace
15 No. 2 in B-Flat minor: Allegretto
16 No. 3 in E Major: Allegro Vivace
17 No. 4 in E minor: Allegro Con Brio
18 No. 5 in G Major: Moderato
19 No. 6 in F minor: Allegro Appassionato
20 No. 7 in F Major: Moderato
21 No. 8 in a Minor: Vivo
22 No. 9 in a Major: Allegro Moderato
23 No. 10 in B minor: Lento
24 No. 11 in B Major: Allegretto
25 No. 12 in G-Sharp minor: Allegro
Written over a period of 18 years, Rachmaninov's sets of Preludes are a mirror and a record of his compositional development. With so rich a variety of character, color, texture, and mood, no two preludes are fully alike, and differentiation of tempo and register ensures that each prelude's character is clearly defined. The first eleven pieces were conceived by Rachmaninov as a single cycle, and their full-hearted Romanticism contrasts with the significantly more angular, modernistic Op. 32. Whether evoking ballad or bell toll, the exotic or folk influences, the Preludes stand in the great tradition of works by Bach and Chopin written in all 24 major and minor keys.
