Sergey Rachmaninoff
Three Nocturnes

About Sergey Rachmaninoff's Three Nocturnes

This set of three Nocturnes, together with the Four Pieces written the same year, comprises some of Rachmaninoff’s earliest compositions of a serious nature. Composed in 1887 when Rachmaninoff was only 14 years old, they were first published posthumously in 1949. Though Rachmaninoff had not yet established the characteristic style he is known for today, even these early pieces have recognizable features from his later music, such as thick chordal textures with wide chords suited for the composer’s massive hands. Apart from the first piece from the 7 Morceaux de Salon Op. 10 titled “Nocturne” these were the only contributions Rachmaninoff made to the genre.