Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3 No. 2

Sergueï Rachmaninov · Level 6 (Expert) · Romantic · Piano

The “Bells of Moscow” prelude (1892), which made Rachmaninoff famous overnight. A prelude by Rachmaninoff, a summit of Russian Romantic piano writing. C♯ minor, 4/4, 62 bars (about 4 minutes), complete score.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Power without harshness: play with arm weight and a loose wrist, and prepare the big chords. Key signature with 4 sharps: name them aloud before playing and spot the places where accidentals cancel them. The piece starts with a pickup: count the incomplete bar before coming in. One hand sometimes plays two voices: hold the long notes for their full value and let the main line sing louder than the accompaniment.

More pieces by Sergueï Rachmaninov

• Prelude in E-flat major Op. 23 No. 6
• Prelude Op. 23, No. 9
• Prelude in G-flat major Op. 23 No. 10
• Prelude in G minor Op. 23 No. 5

Source : Mutopia Project · CC BY-SA 4.0