Rachmaninov, op. 23 #5 - fingering

[nastassja]

Hello everybody,

I'm sight-reading Rachmaninov's prelude op. 23 #5 and wondering about the fingering in the arpeggio section (measures 35 to 49). I have the Boosey and Hawkes edition and there are no fingerings at all... I was thinking about 51, 2,1,4,2,1,2* for the D major chord at measure 35; measure 38 starting with 5,2,1,4,3,2,1... that is my first choice but if anyone has any other options that work at a "performance-speed"... please feel free to write me a little message.

Thanks a lot!


*P.S.: Hopefully this is understandable, otherwise I'll attach a jpeg file soon.

[black_key512]

I have been learning this prelude unfortunately without fingering too. But there's simple way to find good fingering. You have to play these arpeggios with the final speed with correct technique, of course not whole bars but little groups of 16th notes (I'm sure you can do that). When you feel it's comfortable to you in fast tempo - it's good fingering. When you try only in slow tempo you cannot be sure it will work in high speed, especially for bigger intervals. And at the beginning where you have an octave I suggest to play the next note (A) with 5th finger - then this arpeggio is easier to play.

I'm sorry if I made some mistakes. I still learn English.

[visitor]

by definition is it not sight reading any longer after you first read it? so are you practicing it and now looking for alternates what what you first used? if you got through it easily enough, i'd keep it the same to see how it progresses and develops, but also experiment w/ others per other peeps suggestions to see if something opens up as a result.