Rachmaninov wrote 24 preludes for piano, divided on three opus numbers, between 1892 and 1910. The first prelude, in C-sharp minor, is part of the Op. 3 set called Morceaux de Fantasie.
It has become one of Rachmaninoffâs most famous pieces. The composer himself expressed some regret that he was more or less forced to play the piece, which reminded him of the church bells of his childhood, in almost every recital he gave.
The remaining twenty-three preludes of Op. 23 and Op. 32 are from the composerâs happiest decade.
In the two years before the first set was published (1903) he had made his great success with the Second Piano Concerto and finally been married to his beloved Natalia after many years of despair and depression.
The pieces in the Op. 32 set, composed in a nineteen-day period in 1910, are wider ranging in expression and length.
Some of the most popular preludes of this set are No. 5 in G major, No. 8 in A minor and No. 12 in G-sharp minor.
