The 24 preludes and 17 etudes-tableaux of Serge Rachmaninoff include
what are possibly his finest compositions for solo piano. Each of these
masterly works is included in this complete collection, reproduced from
recent, authoritative Russian editions. They include: Prelude, Op. 3,
No. 2; Ten Preludes, Op. 23; Thirteen Preludes, Op. 32; Eight
Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33; Nine Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39. Among these are
the enormously popular C-sharp minor prelude, Op. 3, No. 2; the G-minor
prelude, Op. 23, No. 5; and the B-minor prelude, Op. 32, No. 10 --
classics that have made Rachmaninoff one of the most performed and
recorded modern composers.
Each of these works reflects Rachmaninoff's emotional intensity, his
thrilling gifts as a melodist and his ability to crystallize perfectly a
particular mood or sentiment. In their sonorous textures and rich
embellishment, they reflect as well his sovereign command of keyboard
technique and his spectacular gifts as a pianist (he was one of the very
greatest pianists of the 20th century). This beautifully produced yet
inexpensive edition will provide both amateur and professional pianists
a lifetime of study and enjoyment, and will afford music lovers as well
the deep pleasures of following, music in hand, live and recorded
performances of these keyboard masterpieces.