Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)
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Prelude in C-sharp minor (Russian: Прелюдия), op. 3, no. 2, is one of Sergei Rachmaninoff's most famous compositions. It is a ternary (ABA) prelude in C-sharp minor, 62 measures long, and part of a set of five pieces entitled Morceaux de Fantaisie.[1]
Its first performance was by the composer on October 8, 1892, at a festival called the Moscow Electrical Exhibition.[2] After this première, a review singled the Prelude out of the entire concert, noting that it had "aroused enthusiasm".[3] From this point on, its popularity would grow exponentially.
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[edit] Background
This work was one of the first Rachmaninoff composed as a "Free Artist", after he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory on May 29, 1892. He performed this new work for the first time, at one of the concerts of the Moscow Electrical Exhibition on October 8, 1892. it was printed the following year as the second of five Morceaux de Fantaisie (op. 3), all dedicated to Anton Arensky, his harmony teacher at the Conservatory. Because at the time Russia was not party to the 1886 Berne Convention, Russian publishers did not pay royalties, so the only financial return he ever received for this piece was a 40 ruble ($1.64, £0.80) publishing fee.[2]
[edit] Composition
The prelude is organized into three main parts and a coda. Three opening chords at fortissimo introduce the grim C sharp minor tonality that dominates the piece. The cadential motif repeats throughout. In the third measure, the volume changes to a pianississimo for the exposition of the theme. The second part is propulsive and marked Agitato (agitated), beginning with highly chromatic triplets. This passionately builds to interlocking chordal triplets that descend into a climactic recapitulation of the main theme, this time in four staves to accommodate the volume of notes. Certain chords in the section are marked with quadruple sforzando. The piece closes with a brief seven-measure coda which ends quietly.
[edit] Reception
The prelude became one of Rachmaninoff's most famous compositions.
His cousin Alexander Siloti was instrumental in securing the Prelude's success throughout the Western world. In the autumn of 1898, he made a tour of Western Europe and the United States, with a program that contained the Prelude. Soon after, London publishers brought out several editions with titles such as The Burning of Moscow, The Day of Judgement, and The Moscow Waltz. America followed suit with other titles, such as The Bells of Moscow.[2]
Rachmaninoff came to loathe the piece as its fame overshadowed his other works. It was so popular that it was referred to as "The Prelude" and audiences would demand it as an encore at his performances, shouting "C sharp!" It was recorded by the composer both electrically and on Ampico piano rolls.
The prelude formed the basis for George L. Cobb's Russian Rag.
[edit] Recording
[edit] References
- ^ Score. Available for download at any of the External Links (see below).
- ^ a b c Harrison, Max (2006). Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings. London: Continuum, pp. 72–73. ISBN 0-8264-9312-2.
- ^ Bertensson, Sergei; Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina (2001). Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music. Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253214211.
[edit] External links
- Prelude in C sharp minor was available at the International Music Score Library Project.
- Free sheet music download
