Rachmaninoff, Prelude, Op. 23, No. 10 in G flat

[rachfan]

Near the climax of this piece ("the point" as Rachmaninoff would say), I played a chord incorrectly, but oddly enough it almost works.  If I were to re-record the piece someday, I would certainly fix that glitch.  I would call your attention though to the last couple of lines or so of the piece.  Some pianists slow the tempo there very noticeably in order to accommodate the huge rolls, playing it ad libitum or a piacere.  The problem is that Rachmaninoff made no indication or allowance in the score to that effect.  In this version you'll hear it played up to tempo as written, although it's far more difficult to do so, even with large hands.  I should also point out that practicing that last segment repetitively can be danagerous.  To avoid any problem, I limited myself to short time intervals only.  If discomfort appears, it's time to stop!

Update: I deleted the CD cut (29 downloads) and replaced it with the original source tape recording which offers better fidelity.

Comments welcome.

[rachfan]

This is another relatively unknown prelude from Op. 23.  Comments welcome.

[imbetter]

I've played this prelude before, its a wonderful piece. with the cords accompanying the melody in the left hand, instead of voicing the top of the cord (especially toward the beginning of the piece) , I'd voice the bottom, it almost works as a counter melody. You can hear the "counter melody", but not as much as you should. A lot of the times (but not all the time) during the piece the right hand (accompaniment), is played on the same dynamic level as the melody so the melody doesn't really stand out as much as it should. I'd like to point at you did a great job at following the sudden increases and decreases in dynamics Rachmaninoff asks for.

good luck 

[rachfan]

Hi imbetter,

Thanks for your feedback and suggestions.  This prelude was either the second or third piece I tackled after a very long time away from piano, so I don't think I had hit my stride at that point.  I agree with you on the need for greater contrast between foreground and background in this piece, which gets better attention in my other recordings here.

[mattgreenecomposer]

Hey RachFan.
  Thanks for posting Rachmaninoff so much.  (he's my favorite composer as well)
"The Point" which you referred to Rachmaninoff actually called "the critical point."  Being a composer I always thought about this before I even read about Rach calling it that.  One day I stumbled upon an interview with him reffering to this "critical point" after I wrote a paper about it in college.  I was shocked that I felt the same way he did, not knowing about him at the time.  I always have a "critical point" in every piece I write as well.  Its crucial!  But yes .  He's always got this in his pieces and the "critical point" is ALWAYS effective. Thats what seperates him from the other guys.
Good playing buddy..

[rachfan]

Hi matt,

Thanks for giving some commentary on the "critical point"--it was most interesting.  Thanks too for the compliment on my playing.

David