Rachmaninov stated that the E flat major Prélude, Op. 23, No. 6, "poured out of me all at once on the day my daughter was born [19 May 1903]."
Compositional Technique
Rachmaninov used an ingenious framing device, linking the very last Prélude (Op. 32, No. 13) with the very first (C sharp minor Prélude) through shared motifs, including a descending three-note motif.
Compositional Technique
The C sharp minor Prélude was nicknamed "The Bells of Moscow" by Western audiences due to its prominent bell-like sounds, and it features the medieval chant Dies irae, a recurring motif in Rachmaninov's works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rachmaninov's B minor Prélude, Op. 32, No. 10, was directly inspired by Arnold Böcklin's painting "The Return or The Homecoming," which depicts a man contemplating a house from afar.
Cultural Impact
The C sharp minor Prélude was so popular that audiences often forced Rachmaninov to play it as an encore after every concert.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Rachmaninov's Préludes are distinct from those of Chopin and Scriabin, as they are fully developed, standalone musical worlds rather than vignettes or allusions.
Composition History
Rachmaninov completed his cycle of 24 Préludes over an 18-year period, starting with the C sharp minor Prélude in 1892 and finishing the last 13 Préludes in 1910.
