Rachmaninoff's Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42, was his last original work for solo piano, composed almost 40 years after his famous C-sharp minor Prelude.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff composed 24 Preludes in total, emulating Frédéric Chopin by writing one for each major and minor key.
Composition History
The Variations on a Theme of Corelli, Op. 42, was composed in France in 1931 and premiered in Montreal, Canada, that same year.
Composer Biography
Sergei Rachmaninoff, a Russian composer-pianist, excelled at both large and small musical forms.
Recording & Production
This recording features a C. Bechstein, Model D 282 piano, provided courtesy of Faust Harrison and Bechstein Corp. of America.
Compositional Technique
The theme for Rachmaninoff's Corelli Variations comes from Arcangelo Corelli's Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 1, but it is actually the slow dance 'La Folia,' of 16th-century Portuguese origin.
Composition History
Rachmaninoff dedicated his Variations on a Theme of Corelli to the great violinist Fritz Kreisler, who had introduced him to the theme.
