Prelude in E-flat major (Rachmaninoff)
Encyclopedia
The Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 6 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff
. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
The piece is reminiscent of sections of Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto
.
Measures 1-9 establish the theme - a parallel period with a cadence in G minor - that continues throughout the piece. The theme is varied in measures 9-20 in G minor, F, E flat, A flat, F, and G. A repetition of the theme occurs at measure 21, and then is drastically simplified. Measure 28 has great similarities to the Second Concerto, particularly in terms of transference of the theme to the left hand and large chords in the right land.
Measure 28
An exchange of ascending and descending chromatic sequences occurs at measures 31 and 32, offset contrapuntally by the changes of the primary theme.
Measures 31 and 32
Towards the end of the Prelude, an emphasis is placed on the sixteenth note accompaniment, which expands into two hands, rising upward in a chromatic pattern to the finish.
Measures 39-40
Measure 19
Measure 37 also exemplifies these ambiguities, creating a truly detached and vague sound:
Measure 37
More so than the other Preludes, the E-flat major Prelude has an unusual contrapuntal texture made possible by the complex interweaving of melodic lines and imitative suggestions. Curiously, filled in octaves create a solid character of sound more commonly associated with homophonic works. The thick texture of measures 1-22 gives way to a minimal thinning and simplification of the melody at measure 23, making room for the climax at measures 27-31.
Measures 23-24
Creative rhythmic variations create symmetry throughout the work. The unrelenting sixteenth-note current in the left hand balances some of the more unusual variations that occur in the right hand. In measures 37-38, the composer moves the theme - in diminution - into the left hand:
Measures 37-38
Dynamics are important in performing the piece, as the repeating figure in the right hand can become monotonous if left unvaried.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)
Ten Preludes, Op. 23, is a set of ten preludes for solo piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1901 and 1903. This set includes the famous Prelude in G minor.- Composition :...
The piece is reminiscent of sections of Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto
Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900...
.
Structure
The E-flat major Prelude is written in a variation form. An extended sixteenth note accompaniment is offset by a three note reoccurring melodic germ in the right hand. The prelude is a serially reoccurring set of repetitions and variations.Measures 1-9 establish the theme - a parallel period with a cadence in G minor - that continues throughout the piece. The theme is varied in measures 9-20 in G minor, F, E flat, A flat, F, and G. A repetition of the theme occurs at measure 21, and then is drastically simplified. Measure 28 has great similarities to the Second Concerto, particularly in terms of transference of the theme to the left hand and large chords in the right land.
Measure 28
An exchange of ascending and descending chromatic sequences occurs at measures 31 and 32, offset contrapuntally by the changes of the primary theme.
Measures 31 and 32
Towards the end of the Prelude, an emphasis is placed on the sixteenth note accompaniment, which expands into two hands, rising upward in a chromatic pattern to the finish.
Measures 39-40
Analysis
The E-flat major Prelude is harmonically complex. Reoccurring use of the minor-second and minor-third combination in the accompaniment weave a novel harmonic web. Embellishing diminished and altered chords (see, inter alia, measure 19) mask the harmonic progression, creating a hazy and unsettling harmonic center.Measure 19
Measure 37 also exemplifies these ambiguities, creating a truly detached and vague sound:
Measure 37
More so than the other Preludes, the E-flat major Prelude has an unusual contrapuntal texture made possible by the complex interweaving of melodic lines and imitative suggestions. Curiously, filled in octaves create a solid character of sound more commonly associated with homophonic works. The thick texture of measures 1-22 gives way to a minimal thinning and simplification of the melody at measure 23, making room for the climax at measures 27-31.
Measures 23-24
Creative rhythmic variations create symmetry throughout the work. The unrelenting sixteenth-note current in the left hand balances some of the more unusual variations that occur in the right hand. In measures 37-38, the composer moves the theme - in diminution - into the left hand:
Measures 37-38
Performance Notes
The unusual patterns of the left hand accompaniment call for excellent fingering and careful use of pedal. Blurring of the accompaniment is possible without judicious balancing of tone.Dynamics are important in performing the piece, as the repeating figure in the right hand can become monotonous if left unvaried.