RACHMANINOFF: Op. 3, Op. 16, Op. 23, & Op. 33

Rachmaninoff

Morceaux de Fantaisie, Op.3
This is a set of five pieces for solo piano:
1. Elegy in E-flat minor
2. Prelude in C-sharp minor
3. Melody in E major
4. Polichinelle
5. Serenade
All these five pieces are not supposed to be performed together as a group and are all in ABA form. The Elegy sounds sad and tragic to me. The Melody is lyrical yet dramatic. The Polichinelle has this march-like character. Lastly, the Serenade is a waltz.
As mentioned earlier, Rachmaninoff strongly suggests that all these pieces should reflect imagery rather than their musical form. Among the five pieces, the Prelude is probably the most popular one. The image that Rachmaninoff suggests the performer to picture is the image of the bells in Moscow. Therefore, the opening has big menacing chords that correspond to that image.

Moments Musicaux, Op.16
This comprises a group of six separate pieces. Each piece has its own mood:

1. Andantino in B-flat minor- use elements of nocturne and theme and variation
2. Allegretto in E-flat minor- use elements of etude (see melody combined with sextuplet figures)
3. Andante cantabile in B minor- use elements of funeral march
4. Presto in E minor- again, use element resembles to Chopin’s Revolutionary etude
5. Adagio sostenuto in D-flat major- barcarolle form
6. Maestoso in C major- canon, three-part texture, love the majestic ending

Interestingly, these pieces were written because he needed money.

10 Preludes, Op.23
In comparison to Chopin’s Preludes, these preludes are written mostly in polyphonic setting but still have all 24 major and minor keys. His Prelude No. 5, Op. 23 is probably the most famous one among the ten preludes. There are many modulations through the use of rising and falling chromatic pattern. This piece has a march section, syncopated rhythm, thick repeated chordal structure, meter changes, etc.

Etudes-tableaux, Op. 33
As mentioned in other blog entries, Rachmaninoff’s etudes-tableaux are picture pieces. There are nine etudes in this set. The E-flat major one (Op. 33, No. 7) is especially important because Rachmaninoff again uses the bell-like chord sounds that is typical in his compositions. The other important one is probably the eighth etude in C-sharp minor as the tonality shift between the major and minor mode. The second prelude in C major sounds Nocturne-like. The d-minor etude (Op. 33, No. 4) has a study of staccato chords in compelling rhythms. The fifth prelude in E-flat minor is in fast tempo and the harmony is chromatic.