Horowitz plays rachmaninoffs prelude in c minor

Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote a number of preludes, all for solo piano. His most important works in this genre are the 24 preludes that cover all 24 major and minor keys.

These were, however, written and published at different times, not as a unified set. Of all the composers who wrote sets of 24 pieces in all the keys, Rachmaninoff seems to be the only one who did not originally set out with such a goal in mind.

Horowitz plays rachmaninoffs prelude in c minor bach

There is not an order to the tonalities of the preludes, like that seen in Bach or Chopin's preludes (in which the keys were organized chromatically and around the circle of fifths, respectively.) Rachmaninoff also wrote three other individual preludes.

History

First attempts

Rachmaninoff's first attempt at a prelude was that in E♭ minor, one of his Four Pieces in 1887. In July 1891, there was a Prelude in F major, which he also arranged for cello and piano.

Neither of these pieces was published in his lifetime.

Prelude in C&#x