Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor. He was born in the district of Novgorod (Russia) in 1873 in a Russian upper class family. His talent was realised and nurtured from a young age. He was initially tutored by the renowned Moscow pedagogue Nikolai Zverev (of the Moscow Conservatory). Another star student of Zverev was Alexander Scriabin who shared a number of classes with Rachmaninoff during their years in the Conservatory. He finally graduated from the Moscow Conservatory a year earlier than most students (at the age 19) and he was given the great gold medal of the conservatory which was rarely awarded. During his career, Rachmaninoff wrote 145 compositions, including piano concertos and symphonies. He was well known for his wide hands and his compositions were characterised by unusually wide chords as well as deeply romantic melody lines. He was also well known for his virtuosity and expressiveness as a pianist. He made over a hundred recordings and gave over one thousand concerts. Like Chopin, Rachmaninoff composed preludes in all the major and minor keys. The first was the C sharp minor (Op. 3, No. 2), to which he added the 10 preludes of Op. 23 and the 13 preludes of Op. 32. Prelude Op. 32 No. 12 in G sharp minor This prelude was composed in 1910 and it is infused with Rachmaninoff's characteristic melancholy. Similarly to the previous prelude there is a long melodic line against an arpeggiated (sixteenth notes) accompaniment however there is constant transition of the melody and the accompaniment between the hands. Tonal balance between the melody and the accompaniment along with taking care to subdue the accompaniment during these transitions are probably the main elements of a successful performance. Moreover, following Rahmaninoff's indications of tempo flexibility throughout the whole prelude does give this prelude its energy. Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (1873 -- 1943) -Prelude Op. 32 No. 12 in G sharp minor. Performance (piano) & Programme notes by Panagiotis Markos. Panagiotis Markos preparing the Rahmaninov's Prelude for his public recital. This video was recorded in Deptford Town Hall (London).
