Prelude in G-flat major (Rachmaninoff)
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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.
Measures 11 and 12
The "B" section, from measures 18–34, employs sequential fragments of the "A" section. Syncopated chords from the "A" section are elongated. Rising chromatic patterns are present in both the bass and treble. Consider measures 18-20 and 23-25:
Measures 18-20
Measures 23-25
Uncommon amongst Rachmaninoff's preludes is the G-flat major's return to the main theme in imitation. While the accompaniment figure found at measures 1-5 is again present, a counter melody has appeared.
Measures 35 and 36
The coda is rather convoluted, and at once technically and harmonically complex. Triplet figures offset vague references to the original theme, lending an enigmatic quality to the section.
Measures 49 and 50
Measures 15 and 16
Like many of the other Op. 23 Preludes, chromatic modulations add interest. A typical chromatically embellished passage is measures 47 and 48.
While a casual listener might identify the prelude as polyphonic, the piece is in reality monophonic. The illusion of polyphony is created by a counter melody in measures 35-44 that adds a unique and unusual texture to the Prelude.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
. It is part of Rachmaninoff's Ten Preludes, Op. 23.
Preludes, Op. 23 (Rachmaninoff)
Ten Preludes, Op. 23, is a set of ten preludes for solo piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1901 and 1903. This set includes the famous Prelude in G minor.- Composition :...
Structure
The Prelude, a bookend of sorts to Op. 23, is tranquil, simple, and elegant. It is written in conventional ternary form. The main theme in the left hand is accompanied by syncopated chords in the right hand; it begins at measure 2 and ends at measure 6. A parallel period follows from measures 6–11, ending on an imperfect cadence. In measures 11–18, a sequential period that is based on the rhythm of the main theme follows. Soprano and bass track each other in this section:Measures 11 and 12
The "B" section, from measures 18–34, employs sequential fragments of the "A" section. Syncopated chords from the "A" section are elongated. Rising chromatic patterns are present in both the bass and treble. Consider measures 18-20 and 23-25:
Measures 18-20
Measures 23-25
Uncommon amongst Rachmaninoff's preludes is the G-flat major's return to the main theme in imitation. While the accompaniment figure found at measures 1-5 is again present, a counter melody has appeared.
Measures 35 and 36
The coda is rather convoluted, and at once technically and harmonically complex. Triplet figures offset vague references to the original theme, lending an enigmatic quality to the section.
Measures 49 and 50
Analysis
This quiet ending to the Preludes is tender in harmonic mood. Notes of depression evident in the first prelude of the set return here, and the chordal modulations in the accompaniment perhaps provide a sense of something already begun, or that continudes ad infinitum. Juxtapositions of parallel major and minor chords contribute to the mood.Measures 15 and 16
Like many of the other Op. 23 Preludes, chromatic modulations add interest. A typical chromatically embellished passage is measures 47 and 48.
While a casual listener might identify the prelude as polyphonic, the piece is in reality monophonic. The illusion of polyphony is created by a counter melody in measures 35-44 that adds a unique and unusual texture to the Prelude.