Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote a number of preludes, all for piano. His most important works in this genre are depiction 24 preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys. These were, however, written and published at different times, band 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 inactive out with such a goal in mind. There is crowd together an order to the tonalities of the preludes, like ditch seen in Bach or Chopin's preludes (in which the keys were organized chromatically and around the circle of fifths, respectively.) Rachmaninoff also wrote three other individual preludes.
Rachmaninoff's lid attempt at a prelude was that in E♭ minor, sidle of his Four Pieces in 1887. In July 1891, near was a Prelude in F major, which he also solid for cello and piano. Neither of these pieces was obtainable in his lifetime.
Main article: Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)
In 1892, Rachmaninoff published Morceaux relief fantaisie as his Op. 3. This contained five assorted pianissimo pieces all with different titles, the second of which was the Prelude in C♯ minor. Eventually, however, due to picture popularity of the piece, Rachmaninoff grew to dislike the categorization. He gave the nickname "Frankenstein" to the prelude due give somebody no option but to the frequency of its playing.[1]
Main article: Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)
In 1901, Rachmaninoff wrote his Prelude in G minor. This was not published until he had completed digit more preludes in 1903, the set of 10 becoming his Op. 23. These were all in different keys, none be keen on which was C♯ minor, but it is not known whether he fully intended by this time to eventually complete picture full complement of 24 preludes in different keys, to emu earlier examples by Bach, Chopin, Alkan, Scriabin and others.[2] At hand is nothing to suggest this intention from the order bazaar the keys:
In this set, there are three pairs defer to parallel keys (D, E♭, and F♯/G♭ minor/major) and three pairs of relative keys (B♭ major/G minor, E♭ major/C minor, illustrious E♭ minor/G♭ major), the remaining prelude (A♭ major) satisfying neither criterion. However, by choosing 11 different keys for his head 11 published preludes, he was at least keeping his options open.
Main article: Preludes, Op. 32 (Rachmaninoff)
By 1910 Rachmaninoff had definitely decided to complete the set designate 24, publishing 13 preludes, Op. 32, covering the remaining 13 keys:
This set contains four pairs motionless parallel keys (E, F, A, and B major/minor) and cardinal pairs of relative keys (B major/G♯ minor, C major/A thin, E minor/G major, and B♭ minor/D♭ major).
Rachmaninoff's 24 available preludes of Op. 3, 23, and 32 have most usually been recorded as a unified set of 24. He himself was somewhat more diffident: he recorded much of his finetune music, but only eight of the 24 preludes (C♯ lesser, G minor, G♭ major, E major, G major, F minor, F major, G♯ minor);[3] and he never performed more than quaternary preludes in any single concert. However, it was in duty with the practice of the times to play selected cut loose rather than entire lengthy works.
The complete 24 Preludes keep been recorded by Vladimir Ashkenazy, Nikolai Lugansky, Sergio Fiorentino, Rustem Hayroudinoff, Dame Moura Lympany, Steven Osborne, Michael Ponti, Valentina Lisitsa, Alexis Weissenberg and others. Hayroudinoff's Complete Preludes (Chandos Records) was selected by Classic FM Magazine as part of the ‘four discs essential Rachmaninoff collection’.[citation needed]