Rachmaninov's 24 Preludes make optimal use of a full-size concert grand piano, creating an illusion of orchestral impact in large concert halls.
Recording & Production
This recording was made in Henry Wood Hall, London, on August 7-8 and 20-21, 2008, with David Hinitt as the Recording Engineer and Andrew Keener as the Recording Producer.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Unlike Scriabin's more mystical preludes, Rachmaninov's are almost entirely emotional confessions, exploring the poetics of heroic struggle and longing.
Performer Biography
Steven Osborne, the pianist on this recording, was born in Scotland in 1971 and won first prize in both the Clara Haskil Competition in 1991 and the Naumburg International Competition in 1997.
Composer Biography
Rachmaninov had to live with the fact that he received only a one-off fee for his C sharp minor Prelude, with no international copyright protection, meaning he gained no financial reward from its countless arrangements.
Composer Biography
Rachmaninov overcame a two-year writers' block to compose his Piano Concerto No. 2, which then strongly influenced the harmonic and pianistic idiom of his Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
Composer Biography
Rachmaninov developed one of the most formidable piano techniques of his day through the rigorous training of Nikolai Zverev and the guidance of his Liszt-pupil cousin, Alexander Siloti.
