The Prelude in C minor, Op. 23, No. 7 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. [1] [2] It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
The Prelude in C minor, Op. 23, No. 7 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. [1] [2] It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
While the form of this Prelude may at first appear to be ternary, the actual structure is in fact a distorted version of strict ternary form. The A section is a single phrase at measures 1–16 which repeats in measures 16–32. The sixteenth-note figure that spreads throughout the work is introduced in measure 1 over a tonic pedal point. The first note of each measure through measure 10 reveals a descending chromatic pattern, perhaps adding to the sense of dread or urgency of the work. Parallel to the descending first note of each line is another descending chromatic pattern on the melodic quarter-note on the third beat of each measure, creating interplay between the two parts.
Measures 13–16 outline the chromatic figure on the first beat of each measure in the left hand with similar suggestions in the treble half-notes.
Measures 13 and 14
Measures 15 and 16
Following a cadence in C minor, the B section enters at measures 33 and continues to measure 37. The division consists of a descending half-note melody in the bass opposed by the sixteenth note accompaniment. The B section repeats serially at measures 37–41 and 41–44.
Measures 45–48 are a transition, composed of ascending chromatic octaves that form a quasi cadenza at measures 49–52.
Measures 49 and 50
The "A section" returns at measure 53, but is varied with increased modulation, an arpeggiated left hand figure, and the addition of octaves
Measure 53
In measure 69, an unusual variation is introduced: the sixteenth-note motive overruns the augmentation of the fragmented theme.
Measure 69
The passages that follow modulate in rapid succession through C minor – G- E flat – F – G – A flat – F minor – D flat – G and diminished and augmented chords in measures 83.
The Prelude ends in a series of embellishing diminished, half-diminished and dominant seventh chords which all contain the tonic note (C). The work draws shut with a perfect cadence.
Measures 87–91
Measure 10
Many pianists have recorded all of the preludes or a selection of them, including Sviatoslav Richter [3] .
The major scale is one of the most commonly used musical scales, especially in Western music. It is one of the diatonic scales. Like many musical scales, it is made up of seven notes: the eighth duplicates the first at double its frequency so that it is called a higher octave of the same note.
The Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332 (300k) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was published in 1784 along with the Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330, and Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331. Mozart wrote these sonatas either while visiting Munich in 1781, or during his first two years in Vienna. Some believe, however that Mozart wrote this and the other sonatas during a summer 1783 visit to Salzburg made for the purpose of introducing his wife, Constanze to his father, Leopold. All three sonatas were published in Vienna in 1784 as Mozart's Op. 6.
In Western musical theory, a cadence is the end of a phrase in which the melody or harmony creates a sense of full or partial resolution, especially in music of the 16th century onwards. A harmonic cadence is a progression of two or more chords that concludes a phrase, section, or piece of music. A rhythmic cadence is a characteristic rhythmic pattern that indicates the end of a phrase. A cadence can be labeled "weak" or "strong" depending on the impression of finality it gives. While cadences are usually classified by specific chord or melodic progressions, the use of such progressions does not necessarily constitute a cadence—there must be a sense of closure, as at the end of a phrase. Harmonic rhythm plays an important part in determining where a cadence occurs.
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The Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op. 24, is a work for solo piano written by Johannes Brahms in 1861. It consists of a set of twenty-five variations and a concluding fugue, all based on a theme from George Frideric Handel's Harpsichord Suite No. 1 in B♭ major, HWV 434. They are known as his Handel Variations.
Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5, is a piece of music by Sergei Rachmaninoff, completed in 1901. It was included in his Opus 23 set of ten preludes, despite having been written two years earlier than the other nine. Rachmaninoff himself premiered the piece in Moscow on February 10, 1903, along with Preludes No. 1 and 2 from Op. 23.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 2 No. 1, was written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. It was published simultaneously with his second and third piano sonatas in 1796.
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 11 in B♭ major, Op. 22, was composed in 1800, and published two years later. Beethoven regarded it as the best of his early sonatas, though some of its companions in the cycle have been at least as popular with the public.
Piano Sonata No. 2, Op. 36, is a piano sonata in B-flat minor composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1913, who revised it in 1931, with the note, "The new version, revised and reduced by author."
Franz Schubert's last three piano sonatas, D 958, 959 and 960, are his last major compositions for solo piano. They were written during the last months of his life, between the spring and autumn of 1828, but were not published until about ten years after his death, in 1838–39. Like the rest of Schubert's piano sonatas, they were mostly neglected in the 19th century. By the late 20th century, however, public and critical opinion had changed, and these sonatas are now considered among the most important of the composer's mature masterpieces. They are part of the core piano repertoire, appearing regularly on concert programs and recordings.
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Excursions, Op. 20, is the first published solo piano piece by Samuel Barber. Barber himself explains:
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The Prelude in F-sharp minor, Op. 23, No. 1 is a composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff completed and premiered in 1903. It is one of ten preludes composed by Rachmaninoff in 1901 and 1903.
The Prelude in D Minor, Op. 23 No. 3 is a composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff completed and premiered in 1903.
The Prelude in E-flat Major, Op. 23, No. 6 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
The Prelude in A-flat major, Op. 23, No. 8, is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
The Prelude in E-Flat Minor, Op. 23 No. 9 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23, and is one of the most difficult of the set.
The Prelude in G-Flat Major, Op. 23 No. 10 is a 1903 composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
