Classical album review: Sergei Rachmaninov - 24 Preludes
SERGEI RACHMANINOV 24 Preludes ***** Hyperion CDA67700, £12.72
Piano preludes might today be rather unfashionable, but they once regularly featured in the output of composers such as Mendelssohn and Liszt. Preludes started out as introductory works, but by the time Sergei Rachmaninov was writing they had become much more full-blooded, often appearing as concert encores, using all the acoustic and dynamic opportunities offered by the concert grand piano. In fact, these are more "finales" than preludes.
This high-class, hugely enjoyable recording by Steven Osborne features Ten Preludes Op 23 and Thirteen Preludes Op 32, together with the Prelude In C Sharp Minor, the early and perhaps best known of his Preludes. It brought the composer much fame, but no income (Rachmaninov having sold it for a one-off fee), even though he continued to perform it for the next 50 years.
Download this: Track 3, Prelude No 2 in B flat major
Email to a friend
Print this page- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Scottish independence: ‘People here are best qualified to run Scotland’
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North east
