Description
The tenth and final prelude of Op. 23, written in 1903. After a run of violent pieces the set comes down with this quiet one: answering the Largo that opened it, the collection begins and ends in sunken music.
In G-flat major and triple meter, marked Largo. Written in a key lying mostly on the black keys, its chords sound soft throughout. The melody is built from repetitions of a short figure and never develops far, circling quietly around the same place. Loud playing scarcely appears, and even at its largest moment the piece stays restrained to the close.
An intermediate prelude. There is no fast figuration, but because the whole piece lives in the lower half of the dynamic range, control of soft playing is the quality of the performance. Sound the chords together, and lift only the melody notes slightly above them. The pedal invites long holds — but neglecting to change it where the harmony turns converts softness into mud.
A collection of preludes not tied to a specific set, featuring short, evocative works by composers from Bach to more modern voices.
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Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer and pianist who represents the late Romantic era, later emigrating to Europe and the United States after the Russian Revolution. His music is marked by lush melody, dense harmony, and sonorities evoking Russian church bells, with his Piano Concerto No. 2 among his best-known works. His many Preludes are also cherished masterworks. This site includes nine of the Preludes from Op. 23 along with the C-sharp minor Prelude, Op. 3 No. 2, that made his name.
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