Thirteen Preludes (, ''Trinadtsat' prelyudiy''),
Op. 32, is a set of thirteen
preludes for solo
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
, composed by
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and Conducting, conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a compos ...
in 1910.
It complements his earlier
Prelude in C minor, Op. 3/2, and
10 Preludes, Op. 23, to complete the full
set of 24 Preludes in all 24 major and minor keys.
Pieces
Opus 32 contains 13 preludes:
*No. 1 in
C major
C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
(Allegro vivace)
*No. 2 in
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
Changes need ...
(Allegretto)
*No. 3 in
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
(Allegro vivace)
*No. 4 in
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp, on the F. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
Change ...
(Allegro con brio)
*No. 5 in
G major
G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...
(Moderato)
*No. 6 in
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature consists of four flats. Its relative major is A-flat major and its parallel major is F major. Its enharmonic equivalent, E-sharp ...
(Allegro appassionato)
*No. 7 in
F major
F major is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat.Music Theory'. (1950). United States: Standards and Curriculum Division, Training, Bureau of Naval Personnel. 28. Its relati ...
(Moderato)
*No. 8 in
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major.
The A natural minor scale is:
Changes needed for the melodic ...
(Vivo)
*No. 9 in
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor.
The A major scale is:
Changes needed for the ...
(Allegro moderato)
*No. 10 in
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major.
The B natural minor scale is:
Changes need ...
(Lento)
*No. 11 in
B major
B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equi ...
(Allegretto)
*No. 12 in
G minor
G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has two flats. Its relative major is B-flat major and its parallel major is G major.
The G natural minor scale is:
Changes n ...
(Allegro)
*No. 13 in
D major
D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...
(Grave – Allegro)
Prelude No. 10
Prelude in B minor, Op. 32, No. 10, was written in 1910 along with the other twelve pieces. Rachmaninoff was inspired by
Arnold Böcklin
Arnold Böcklin (16 October 182716 January 1901) was a Swiss Symbolism (arts), Symbolist Painting, painter. His five versions of the ''Isle of the Dead (painting), Isle of the Dead'' inspired works by several late-Romantic composers.
Biography ...
's painting "
Die Heimkehr" ("The Homecoming" or "The Return"). Rachmaninoff also stated to pianist
Benno Moiseiwitsch
Benno Moiseiwitsch (22 February 18909 April 1963) was a Russian and British pianist.
Biography
Moiseiwitsch was born to Jewish parents in Odessa, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire, and began his studies at age seven with Dmitry Klimov at t ...
that this was his personal favourite among his preludes. This is the second work of Rachmaninoff's to be inspired by one of Böcklin's paintings; the other being ''
Isle of the Dead''.
See also
*
Preludes (Rachmaninoff)
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 unifie ...
*
Music written in all major and/or minor keys
References
Sources
*Baylor, Murray, Rachmaninoff 13 Preludes, Opus 32, For the Piano, Pg. 5. Alfred Music Publishing, New York,1988.
*Brennan, Gerald, Schrott, Allen, Woodstra, Chris, All Music Guide to Classical Music: The Definitive Guide to Classical Music, Backbeat Books, California, 2005
External links
*
*
Piano.ru – Sheet music download*
Chubrik.ru – Audio downloadLive Recording on YouTubeVideo of Willis Miller's live recording of No. 12 in G♯ minor (Allegro).
1910 compositions
Preludes by Sergei Rachmaninoff
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