Prelude in C sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)

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The young Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff's C sharp minor Prelude (Прелюдия) op. 3 No. 2 from the Morceaux de fantaisie is by far his most popular piano piece; only surpassed in fame by the second piano concerto . With its relative technical simplicity, it is one of the most famous works of the late romantic period.

Work data

The work was written in 1892 and published in 1893. The composer performed the piece himself on September 26th July. / October 8,  1892 greg. at the Moscow Electrotechnical Exhibition. The entire cycle was premiered on December 27, 1892 in Kharkov. The playing time varies from interpreter to interpreter, recordings usually take between three and five minutes.

This piece is also known as 'The Bells of Moscow'.

History of origin

Rachmaninoff composed the second piece from the cycle of five fantasy pieces almost immediately after graduating with the great gold medal at the Moscow Conservatory , in poverty and depression. The collection is dedicated to his former professor in harmony , Anton Arenski .

analysis

The musical analysis of a work is largely based on interpretations and interpretations. So it is not surprising that many interpretations and musical analyzes contradict one another. Where one musicologist sees several themes , another only sees the variation of one theme.

First part

The piece is divided into three main parts, ABA and ends with a coda. It begins with three massive octaves in fortissimo (ff), which symbolize the imperious throbbing of a fateful motif (sometimes it is claimed that the simple melody could be accompanied by the words "Give us bread", but this theory was never taken seriously). Right at the beginning you are fascinated by the unmistakable intuition with which the young inexperienced composer achieves effects in a novel and original way. In the outer parts, Rachmaninov virtuously imitates the bells typical of Russian music (see 2nd piano concerto, The Bells, first 8 bars). A melancholy Lento follows the chimes. That three-tone germ from the beginning functions as a dynamically isolated motto, which is varied in the course of the Lento section. The greatest difficulty of the slow part is to span a single huge arc over the entire section, never letting the melody break off, which only good pianists can do flawlessly. At the end of the A section, the melody becomes quieter.

Another aspect of the first part of the C sharp minor Prelude is the special pedal technique that Rachmaninoff uses. It is up to the pianist to interpret in his own way, but mostly Rachmaninoff's technique is used, which uses the sostenuto pedal (also known as the "middle pedal"), which is not available on all pianos , to change the three different ones played to a root note Don't mix chords.

Also striking in the first part are the extreme dynamic names, where a ppp (piano pianissimo) is not uncommon, which at the beginning contrasts with the fortissimo of the first 3 octaves.

Second part

Apparently out of nowhere, without an interruption or caesura, and then very mysteriously begins the B part, the only lecture title of which is Agitato . However, this tempo designation varies greatly in the course of the second section. This part is a virtuoso, excited triplet section, which closes with a toccata-like descending martellato cascade, which ends the second part as the finale of the accelerando that extends over the entire B part. This part ends with two massive chords in fortissimo, which are announced by their fundamental notes in 4 octaves and triple sforzato (chimes).

third part

Return of the theme in massive octaves and chords

Finally, the initial motif “a tempo” returns, however not groping and questioning as originally, but pesante, with tremendous force. Here the greatness of Rachmaninoff (also in a purely physical sense) finally comes to light; it also becomes clear here that Rachmaninoff is alluding to the Russian bells. An increase of up to fourfold sforzato (sffff) as well as a doubling of both hand parts - four notation systems with the pedal sounding through, here Rachmaninov leaves no stone unturned in breaking into the listener with the piano like a force of nature. This makes it one of the few piano works with 4 staves that are also fully enjoyed. However, this variant of notation is only suitable for skilled eyes and is impossible to try as a reading exercise. Twice even 12 notes of a chord are notated at one stroke, which of course is only possible as a kind of arpeggio. After the chords gradually fade to the oppressive exhaustion of the beginning, the piece ends in a very original chord progression, again reminiscent of the 2nd piano concerto, and finally in a wailing C sharp minor chord in the first inversion. This third section is the culmination of the whole built up over A and B.

Reception of the work

While the Moscow premiere in 1892 hardly caused a stir, the C sharp minor prelude soon became a special trademark of Rachmaninoff. Due to its popularity, he often had to include it in his programs or, at the request of the audience, at least play it as an encore after the legendary “C sharp minor” calls. Ernest Newman wrote in the London Times in 1928: “He's one of the very few musicians who can fill the Queen's Hall these days, but whether he's doing it because he's one of the best pianists or because he's in C sharp minor -Prelude, I couldn't say. ”The C sharp minor Prelude has indeed become a hit and the Prelude of Rachmaninoff.

Trivia

The original piano piece in the orchestral version with threatening cymbals, as it was often played in silent films in the past, achieved a very strange fame.

See also

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