Rachmaninoff’s masterpieces. Recommended pieces by Rachmaninoff.

13 PreludesSergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninoff: 13 Preludes, Op.32 (Hayroudinoff, Ashkenazy, Various)

In the summer of 1910, Rachmaninoff, having stepped away from his busy performance schedule, completed the work in a short burst.

As for No.

10, “Lento in B minor,” it is said to have been inspired, like The Isle of the Dead, by Arnold Böcklin’s painting The Return.

ArekoSergei Rachmaninov

Sergei V. Rachmaninoff 'Aleko' (USSR 1986)

Composed in 1892 as a graduation piece at the Moscow Conservatory, this is a one-act opera.

Based on Pushkin’s “The Gypsies,” it tells the story of Aleko, a young nobleman who falls in love with a Gypsy girl and ends up killing both her and her lover when she is unfaithful.

Oriental SketchSergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninoff: Oriental Sketch

This is a piano piece by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Composed amid the turmoil of the Russian Revolution in 1917, this roughly one-and-a-half-minute work condenses Rachmaninoff’s distinctive pianism and compositional technique.

Characterized by a toccata-like rhythmic vitality, it makes extensive use of rapid sixteenth-note passages, serving as a miniature that tests a pianist’s virtuosity and expressive range.

While a driving, almost mechanical rhythm propels the music forward, a brief, delicate melody emerges in the middle section, adding depth to the piece.

Against the backdrop of revolutionary social upheaval and personal hardship, this work can be seen as part of a group of compositions reflecting Rachmaninoff’s emotions and the atmosphere of an unstable era.

Symphonic Poem ‘Prince Rostislav’Sergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Poem “Prince Rostislav”

A symphonic poem written for large orchestra, it is also one of the composer’s earliest orchestral works.

Composed while he was enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory, it is a study piece that shows the influence of Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov, yet already features the dim, melancholic melodies characteristic of Rachmaninoff.

Pictorial Études ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ Op. 33 No. 1 in F minorSergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninoff: 8 Etudes-Tableaux Op.33 (Lugansky, Ashkenazy, Sofronitsky)

Composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1911, the Études-tableaux are works truly worthy of the title “wizard of the piano.” No.

1 of Op.

33 is a striking piece with a forceful, march-like opening and a lyrical motif.

Although Rachmaninoff himself never revealed any specific scenes, the music unfolds a sonic world that sparks each listener’s imagination.

It also features phrases reminiscent of Chopin’s Étude Op.

25, No.

4, offering enjoyment alongside Rachmaninoff’s unique worldview.

While it demands advanced technique, it is a piece I highly recommend to anyone who wants to experience the profound depths of classical music.

Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19Sergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninov Cello Sonata Natalia Gutman & Viacheslav Poprugin

A piece said to have been written soon after the famed Piano Concerto No.

2.

While the piano spins out intricate passages with dramatic flair, the cello sings a graceful, extended melody with lyrical warmth.

Within the anxiety-tinged atmosphere that Rachmaninoff excelled at, peaceful melodies and martial rhythms surface, and the work finishes with a sense of ascent that climbs to a point of culmination.

Piano Concerto No. 2 in C major, Op. 18Sergei Rachmaninov

Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff)

Composed by Russia’s celebrated composer Rachmaninoff, this piece is a famous work that premiered in 1901.

Rachmaninoff began playing the piano at the age of four and studied at the Moscow Conservatory.

This composition is a monumental work that helped the composer break out of a long creative slump.

It is characterized by passionate, lush melodies, with an impressive dialogue between the piano and the orchestra.

It has been loved by many, appearing in films such as A Lonely Night.

It’s recommended not only for those interested in classical music but also for fans of film scores.