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In 1892, Rachmaninoff composed a prelude in C-sharp minor that quickly gained worldwide fame. Over the next two decades, he went on to create two additional collections of preludes, which were published together as a complete volume in 1911.
Rachmaninoff composed two collections of Préludes between 1892 and 1910, inspired by the famous Prélude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3 No. 2 that he had written earlier. These new Préludes, modeled after the works of Chopin, Scriabin, and J.S. Bach, comprise a cycle of 24 pieces in all major and minor keys. Unlike other Prélude cycles, they are not systematically organized by key. This late Romantic piano music is a must-play for any pianist.
Rachmaninoff's well-known piano cycle, composed in 1931, came after his renowned piano concertos and solo works had already cemented his fame. Yet this piece is far from the "work of an old man." Rather, his virtuosic variations on the "La folia" theme (adapted from a Corelli sonata) are a dazzling display of pianistic fireworks.
Rachmaninoff's well-known piano cycle, composed in 1931, came after his renowned piano concertos and solo works had already cemented his fame. Yet this piece is far from the "work of an old man." Rather, his virtuosic variations on the "La folia" theme (adapted from a Corelli sonata) are a dazzling display of pianistic fireworks.
Alongside HN 1264 (the Etude in E-flat minor, Op. 39, No. 5), we are now offering the Etude in C major in a single edition, taken from our much-loved complete edition of the 17 Études-Tableaux. Rachmaninoff greatly valued this work, often including it in his concert programs and also recording it. The piece features a longing melody that unfolds over a simple accompaniment. This charming etude, which alternates between major and minor, serves as a good technical exercise for crossing over the hands, though it does not present as many difficulties as Rachmaninoff's other études, making it manageable for advanced amateurs. The Henle Urtext edition provides helpful fingerings from virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin to aid pianists.
Rachmaninoff's Études-Tableaux continued the path set out by Chopin and Liszt's concert etudes, presenting the most demanding technical tasks in the form of expressive character pieces. Rachmaninoff composed two cycles, each originally with nine Études-Tableaux, but shortly before Opus 33 went to print, he removed three of the pieces.
