Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)
Encyclopedia
Ten Preludes, Op.
23, is a set of ten prelude
s for solo piano
, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff
in 1901 and 1903. This set includes the famous Prelude in G minor
.
Rachmaninoff completed Prelude No. 5 in 1901. The remaining preludes were completed after Rachmaninoff's marriage to his cousin Natalia Satina: Nos. 1, 2, and 5 premiered in Moscow on February 10, 1903, and the remaining six were completed soon thereafter. 1900-1903 were difficult years for Rachmaninoff and his motivation for writing the Preludes was predominantly financial. Rachmaninoff composed the works in the Hotel America, financially dependent on his cousin Alexander Siloti, to whom the Preludes are dedicated.
The popular Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2 perhaps unfairly eclipses the Op. 23 Preludes. Rachmaninoff remarked, "...I think the Preludes of Op. 23 are far better music than my first Prelude, but the public has shown no disposition to share in my belief...." The composer never played the Preludes in one sitting, preferring to cycle through a rotating mix of his favorites. Nonetheless, certain characteristics of the work, such as the recurrence of stepwise motion, common chords between adjacent preludes, and the bookended relationship between the first and last preludes (both marked Largo, with the latter in the parallel major of the former) suggest that the works could be played as a set. Together with Op. 32 and Op. 3, Rachmaninoff's Preludes represent all twenty-four major and minor keys.
From a performance standpoint, the ten Op. 23 Preludes exhibit wide variations in difficulty. Nos. 1, 4, 5, and 10 are conceivably in reach of the "advanced-intermediate" pianist, while the endurance and dexterity demanded by nos. 2,3,6,7,8, and - above all - 9, require more advanced skill. Nonetheless, even the "easier" preludes present subtle interpretive challenges in counterpoint, dynamic control, and timing, putting true mastery of the pieces out of reach to all but those with virtuosic skill.
simply noted, "How well he hears the silence."
set out to produce the first authentic version, but was unable to obtain the original manuscripts. The Piano Quarterly praised Laredo's editorial practices, remarking that, "this seems to be the edition to own."
However, in 1992, Boosey & Hawkes
published an edition edited by Robert Threlfall, who had managed to obtain access to the original manuscripts. This edition is widely regarded as the first truly authentic version.
Opus number
An Opus number , pl. opera and opuses, abbreviated, sing. Op. and pl. Opp. refers to a number generally assigned by composers to an individual composition or set of compositions on publication, to help identify their works...
23, is a set of ten prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
s for solo piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff
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...
in 1901 and 1903. This set includes the famous Prelude in G minor
Prelude in G minor (Rachmaninoff)
Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5, was a music piece by Sergei Rachmaninoff, completed in 1901. It was included in his Opus 23 set of ten preludes despite having been written two years earlier than the other nine. It epitomizes Rachmaninoff's Russian nationalism, being rich, in full chords, and...
.
Composition
Op. 23 is composed of ten preludes, ranging from two to five minutes in length. Combined, the pieces take around thirty minutes to perform. They are:- No. 1 in F-sharp minor (Largo)Prelude in F-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in F-sharp minor, Op. 23, No. 1 is a composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff completed and premiered in 1903. It is one of ten preludes composed by Rachmaninoff in 1901 and 1903.- Structure :...
- No. 2 in B-flat major (Maestoso)Prelude in B-flat major (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in B-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 2 is a composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff completed and premiered in 1903.- Structure :This brilliant virtuoso piece is rhythmically complex, contrasting thunderous left-hand ostinato against a jagged right hand melodic line...
- No. 3 in D minor (Tempo di minuetto)Prelude in D minor (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in D Minor, Op. 23 No. 3 is a composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff completed and premiered in 1903.- Structure :The prelude is strictly ternary. In measure 8 , a parallel period with a semi-cadence is introduced, and in measure 16 a perfect authentic cadence follows...
- No. 4 in D major (Adagio)Prelude in D major (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in D major, Op. 23 No. 4 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.- Structure :The lyrical, integrated action of the melody bolsters the Prelude's three variation form...
- No. 5 in G minor (Alla marcia)Prelude in G minor (Rachmaninoff)Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5, was a music piece by Sergei Rachmaninoff, completed in 1901. It was included in his Opus 23 set of ten preludes despite having been written two years earlier than the other nine. It epitomizes Rachmaninoff's Russian nationalism, being rich, in full chords, and...
- No. 6 in E-flat major (Andante)Prelude in E-flat major (Rachmaninoff)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.- Structure :...
- No. 7 in C minor (Allegro)Prelude in C minor (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in C minor, Op. 23, No. 7 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.- Structure :...
- No. 8 in A-flat major (Allegro vivace)Prelude in A-flat major (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in A-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 8 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.- Structure :The work is three-part ternary; however, it assumes monothematic characteristics...
- No. 9 in E-flat minor (Presto)Prelude in E-flat minor (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in E-Flat Minor, Op. 23 No. 9 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.- Structure :...
- No. 10 in G-flat major (Largo)Prelude in G-flat major (Rachmaninoff)The Prelude in G-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 10 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.- Structure :...
Rachmaninoff completed Prelude No. 5 in 1901. The remaining preludes were completed after Rachmaninoff's marriage to his cousin Natalia Satina: Nos. 1, 2, and 5 premiered in Moscow on February 10, 1903, and the remaining six were completed soon thereafter. 1900-1903 were difficult years for Rachmaninoff and his motivation for writing the Preludes was predominantly financial. Rachmaninoff composed the works in the Hotel America, financially dependent on his cousin Alexander Siloti, to whom the Preludes are dedicated.
Analysis
Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes abandon the traditional short prelude form delineated by composers such as Bach, Scriabin, and Chopin. Unlike Chopin's small, half-page musical fragments, Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes last for several minutes each, expanding into complex polyphonic forms with musically independent sections. The pieces perhaps represent a culmination of the Romantic idiom. The set reflects Rachmaninoff's experience as a virtuoso pianist and master composer, testing the "...technical, tonal, harmonic, rhythmic, lyrical, and percussive capabilities of the piano."The popular Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3, No. 2 perhaps unfairly eclipses the Op. 23 Preludes. Rachmaninoff remarked, "...I think the Preludes of Op. 23 are far better music than my first Prelude, but the public has shown no disposition to share in my belief...." The composer never played the Preludes in one sitting, preferring to cycle through a rotating mix of his favorites. Nonetheless, certain characteristics of the work, such as the recurrence of stepwise motion, common chords between adjacent preludes, and the bookended relationship between the first and last preludes (both marked Largo, with the latter in the parallel major of the former) suggest that the works could be played as a set. Together with Op. 32 and Op. 3, Rachmaninoff's Preludes represent all twenty-four major and minor keys.
From a performance standpoint, the ten Op. 23 Preludes exhibit wide variations in difficulty. Nos. 1, 4, 5, and 10 are conceivably in reach of the "advanced-intermediate" pianist, while the endurance and dexterity demanded by nos. 2,3,6,7,8, and - above all - 9, require more advanced skill. Nonetheless, even the "easier" preludes present subtle interpretive challenges in counterpoint, dynamic control, and timing, putting true mastery of the pieces out of reach to all but those with virtuosic skill.
Reception and criticism
The Ten Preludes, along with the Op. 3 prelude and the Thirteen Preludes of Op. 32, are considered to be among Rachmaninoff's best works for solo piano. The "Russian" quality of the Op. 23 preludes is often noted by listeners: after hearing Boris Asafyev play the preludes, the painter Ilya Repin noted a streak of Russian nationalism and originality in rhythm and melody. At the same recital, Vladimir Stasov praised the characteristic "Rachmaninoff sound" and unusual and innovative bell-like quality of the pieces, and Maxim GorkyMaxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
simply noted, "How well he hears the silence."
Music editions
Most editions of the Op. 23 Preludes contain signficiant editorial distortions in dynamics and phrasing. In 1986, Ruth LaredoRuth Laredo
Ruth Laredo was an American classical pianist.She became known in the 1970s in particular for her premiere recordings of the 10 sonatas of Scriabin and the complete solo piano works of Rachmaninoff, for her Ravel recordings and in the last 16½ years before her death for her series in the...
set out to produce the first authentic version, but was unable to obtain the original manuscripts. The Piano Quarterly praised Laredo's editorial practices, remarking that, "this seems to be the edition to own."
However, in 1992, Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
published an edition edited by Robert Threlfall, who had managed to obtain access to the original manuscripts. This edition is widely regarded as the first truly authentic version.