Rachmaninov Prelude – Nikolai KUZNETSOV (piano)

Sergei Rachmaninov Prelude in G sharp minor Nikolai KUZNETSOV (piano) Сергей Рахманинов Прелюдия соль диез минор Исполняет Николай Кузнецов (фортепиано) Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote a number of preludes, all for solo piano. His most important works in this genre are the 24 preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys. These were, however, written and published at different times, not as a unified set. Of all the composers who wrote sets of 24 pieces in all the keys, Rachmaninoff seems to be the only one who did not originally set out with such a goal in mind. There is not an order to the tonalities of the preludes, like that seen in Bach or Chopin’s preludes (in which the keys were organized chromatically and around the circle of fifths, respectively.) He also wrote three other individual preludes. Thirteen Preludes (Russian: Тринадцать прелюдий, Trinadtsat’ prelyudiy), Op. 32, is a set of thirteen preludes for solo piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1910. It complements his earlier Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 3/2, and 10 Preludes, Op. 23, to complete the full set of 24 Preludes in all 24 major and minor keys. Opus 32 contains 13 preludes: No. 1 in C major (Allegro vivace) No. 2 in B♭ minor (Allegretto) No. 3 in E major (Allegro vivace) No. 4 in E minor (Allegro con brio) No. 5 in G major (Moderato) No. 6 in F minor (Allegro appassionato) No. 7 in F major (Moderato) No. 8 in A minor (Vivo) No. 9 in A major (Allegro moderato) No. 10 in B minor (Lento) No. 11 in B major (Allegretto) No. 12 in G♯ minor (Allegro) No. 13 in D♭ major (Grave – Allegro)