Rachmaninov's most famous prelude is the one in C sharp minor (Op.3 No. 2). It has everything that a wide audience admires in this Russian soul: full chords, transporting passion, culminating in a denouement whose bombast is gladly taken for granted. The Prelude in B minor (op.32 no.10) has a similar structure. Yet this piece is less popular. The atmosphere is sweltering and resigned. Here too the
… music flares up, but with a mastery that is more reminiscent of the later Etudes-tableaux. The last moments fizzle out. It is therefore a piece that only reveals its secrets after listening to it a few times. That is precisely why it pays to listen to all these pieces, because they show so beautifully how broad Rachmaninov's palette was. Like Chopin's, these 24 Preludes also cover all major and minor keys. Yet they are not conceived as one set, as the track layout clearly shows. It was only after the publication of opus 23 that the composer decided to complete the circle (of 24 possible keys). (HJ)more
