Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 3 No. 2

This prelude is one of five pieces in opus 3, an opus known as the Morceaux de fantasie and his first opus for solo piano (Opus 1 is his first piano concerto and Opus 2 is two pieces for cello and piano). The opus 3 was among Rachmaninoff’s first works after his graduation from the Moscow Conservatory in May 1892. Graduation meant that he was now a “Free Artist,” and he dedicated the Prelude in C-Sharp Minor to Anton Arensky, his harmony teacher.

Secondly, this piece is not simply an “add-on” to Opuses 23 and 32. Rachmaninoff clearly set out to write a collection of twenty-four preludes covering all major and minor keys (as many composers did before). Opuses 23 and 32 consist of twenty-three preludes. Before these later opuses were composed, Rachmaninoff knew that the C-Sharp minor prelude would bring the amount to twenty-four, completing this project.

The C-Sharp Minor Prelude was an immediate hit with the public. It was premiered on September 26, 1892 at the Moscow Electrical Exhibition (yeah, sounds pretty random…there’s some pictures of the exhibition including the concert hall of the premier in the preface to Henle’s edition of the preludes here). A review from that performance noted that the piece “aroused enthusiasm.” ^[1]pages 48-49 of this biography…so important when it first was published In 1893, soon after this premiere, the prelude and the other pieces from Opus 3 were published and available for purchase. Russia wasn’t paying royalties at the time, so publication netted Rachmaninoff nothing but a 40-ruble initial fee (it was worth a lot more back then, but still a rip-off for lifetime publishing royalties on what became a public sensation). ^[2]See pages 72-73 of this book…another great one!

A handful of years later in the fall of 1898, Rachmaninoff’s cousin Alexander Siloti (Ziloti) did an international tour and included Op. 3 No. 2. Crowds loved it, and publishing companies soon went nuts marketing the piece. In England, one found The Burning of Moscow, The Day of Judgement, and The Moscow Waltz. In America, you could see the title “The Bells of Moscow.” ^[3]Ibid. This latter title became ubiquitous in the states. It got to the point that Rachmaninoff said he was sorry he ever wrote that “bells of Moscow thing.” In fact, he wasn’t thinking of bells at all in its composition. (You MUST read this old article from the Minneapolis Tribune!!! Really neat interview with the composer himself!!!) Audiences would yell “The Prelude” or “C-sharp!” to demand an encore. For a neat story containing the “C-Sharp!” shout, go back to that Henle preface here. Even today, if you discuss “The Prelude” in the context of Rachmaninoff’s output, there is no question as to which of the twenty-four you’re referring to.

Rachmaninoff makes certain interpretive choices in all of his recordings of this prelude (including the link below in the “Recommended Recordings” section). He treats the opening section a bit free with the three-eighth-note motive displaying quite a bit of rubato. He also tends to move the tempo forward significantly in measures 6-7. In the middle Agitato section, he pulls back the tempo markedly in measure 17. Rubato and freedom disappear in the return of the A section and are replaced by a more strict, insistent treatment. The fact that Rachmaninoff seems to consistently make these choices pushes them close to being considered performance practice.

There is no question that beat two of measure five should contain a D-Sharp. If you’re feeling up for a counterargument, first read this blog post from G. Henle Verlag, then listen to the three recordings Rachmaninoff made himself mentioned in that post. As you can see from Henle’s research, even the original Moscow publication changed the D-natural back to D-sharp very quickly after they caught the mistake! The D-natural still exists in plenty of popular printed editions to this day. You can see it in this preview of a Schirmer edition here. Ultimately, find an edition with the D-sharp, and you can sleep well.

-Sergei Rachmaninoff, Edison Records, 1919. Feel free to go to wikipedia and listen to the recording there. Note the freedom in pacing…the stretching of the three-eighth-note motive in the opening section…the forward motion in measures 6-7…the rubato in measure 17… Also of note is the clear voicing of the melody in the Agitato section. Interestingly, the rubato in the three eight-notes disappears during the return of the A section, maybe to lend more decisiveness to the restatement? Obviously, Rachmaninoff playing Rachmaninoff is a must-hear! Other recordings exist on piano rolls from Welte-Mignon and Ampico.

The prelude, being so popular for so long, has crept its way into an uncountable number of references, both in the music world and in pop culture. A very, very, very small list of these (just to hint at the variety) includes:

• The start of the Prologue in Dan Simmons’ landmark science fiction novel Hyperion “The Hegemony Consul sat on the balcony of his ebony spaceship and played Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-Sharp Minor on an ancient but well-maintained Steinway while great, green, saurian things surged and bellowed in the swamps below.”
• The TV show Lost (Season 4, Episode 9…go to around the five-minute mark) You can see it on Hulu at the time of writing.
• A sampling in the background of the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic”

There is a two-piano version of this piece that the composer arranged himself in 1938. You can hear it on this CD by John Ogdon and Brenda Lucas.