Rachmaninov préludes op23

[cloches_de_geneve]

Anti-Difficulty-Ranking-Lobby of the Forum: PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS!!! 

Being a complete novice with regards to playing Rachmaninov, I was wondering whether some more experienced player could give me a rough indication of the difficulty of the 11 preludes op 23.
Thanks.-

[lostinidlewonder]

11 preludes? I thought there where 10 in op23? Are you talking about op32? But there are 13 in that one... arrgg

[nanabush]

Not gonna rank them all, but I can tell you which are easiest/hardest off the bat (generally, this is very subjective)

#2 Bb major, #5 G minor, #7 C minor, #9 Eb minor; those are generally known as some of the more difficult preludes.  As far as the 'easier' preludes go; the slower ones, #1 F# minor, #10 Gb major; those are probably the easier preludes.  The others vary, and IMO are between the two groups.  As far as ranking each one, gl with that because it's only valid to do so if you've played them all, and I doubt very many ppl on this forum have.

[cloches_de_geneve]

Yes, of course I meant the 10 preludes op. 23.

And thanks for the general orientation nanabush. I really like Nr. 6 in e-flat major, so I think I'll start with that one. Nr 2 somhow reminds me of Chopin's prelude #3, just turned into something bombastic, and when hearing Nr 9 in e-flat minor, it's difficult for me not to think of Chopin's etude op. 25/6.

[nanabush]

Actually I'd think it'd be more like his etude Op 10 # 7.. different type of double notes.

The Eb major is very nice, not an overly difficult entry point into the preludes.

[dbrainiak914]

A superb set of music.  I want to perform all ten together some day. 

From what I understand, difficulty IMO is roughly 2>9>7>5>8>3>6>4>1>10.

[verywellmister]

I believe 9 is the hardest.  Can you play fast double notes easily?  I heard that it's harder than Feux Follets.

Do no.6! im doing it right no now and it's beautiful and not too hard.  Watch out for the left hand though.

I recommend no.7-if you can pull it off.  A truly amazing piece.

[thierry13]

I believe 9 is the hardest.  Can you play fast double notes easily?  I heard that it's harder than Feux Follets.

Do no.6! im doing it right no now and it's beautiful and not too hard.  Watch out for the left hand though.

I recommend no.7-if you can pull it off.  A truly amazing piece.

Feux-follet and Prelude op.23 no.9 are indeed comparable in difficulty. I wouldn't objectively say one is harder than the other. As for comparing no.2 with no.9, it depends of oneself particular technical problems. Getting the right sound out no.2 I think is harder than no.9. If you have the good technique to play no.9, getting the soft sound out of it is still a challenge, but lesser than in the no.2. So I guess no.2 and 9 are comparable in objective difficulty level, and if there would be one to put on top of the other, it would no.9, since for MOST people fast double-notes are a big problem. For others, they are easy. So it depends.

[m]

Feux-follet and Prelude op.23 no.9 are indeed comparable in difficulty.

You must be joking, Thierry. Are you?

[verywellmister]

You must be joking, Thierry. Are you?

Try both.

[m]

Try both.

How do you know I did not?

[thierry13]

How do you know I did not?

I did too, and i really think they are comparable. The sound of op.23 no.9(soft sound) is way harder to get than out of feux-follet.

[verywellmister]

Since we're on the topic of Op.23, could we have a rough indication of the difficulty of the 13 preludes Op.32?