In what context was Rachmaninoff's Prelude (Op. 23 no. 5) composed?

Compositional Background and Musical Style

Rachmaninoff was dissatisfied with the reality of Russian society at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Rachmaninoff composed a large number of works in various genres during his life, and the rebellious tendency can be seen in many of his works: the Prelude in ascending C minor and his masterpiece Piano Concerto No. 2 have gloomy backgrounds and heavy basses, and they are a kind of reflection of uncertainty and bitterness; Spring Tide is full of youthfulness and vivaciousness, and it expresses a longing for the upcoming "spring". The "Spring Tide" is full of youthfulness, lively and upward, showing the longing for the coming "spring".

Rachmaninoff's musical style has remained unchanged since the beginning, and he has consistently followed the tradition of Russian music and the Moscow school of music history. The soft melodies and profound connotations of Rachmaninoff's unique musical language are long, broad and majestic, reflecting a strong national style and spirit. It is precisely because of this musical character that his music is so moving and convincing. His compositions, although still essentially Romantic, have been imbued with the flavor of the 20th century, forming Rachmaninoff's unique compositional style. Compared with the Preludes of Chopin and Scriabin, Rachmaninoff's compositions are shorter, more concise, with a simpler and more homogeneous weave, reflecting the momentary feelings of the inner spiritual life. Compared with the "improvisational" character of Chopin and others, Rachmaninoff paid more attention to the thought of the connotation of thinking.

La's Preludes for piano include 10 from OP.23 (1903-1904), 13 from OP.32 (1910), and 1 from OP.3, ****24. OP.23, No.5 was composed in 1901 The use of performance techniques

La's Preludes for piano include 10 from OP.23 (1903-1904), 13 from OP.32 (1910), and 1 from OP.3, ****24. Rach's Preludes are rich in musical styles and varied weaves, and in a way they are very conducive to teaching and learning. In the performance process, we first need to understand the stylistic characteristics of the piece and the period of its composition, and carefully analyze the thematic material, the basic patterns and sonorities of the music, which have already been described in detail. In addition, he developed and promoted new compositional features and techniques in the Prelude.

1. Continuous arpeggios

Operation OP.23, No.5 begins at the tempo of the march, but not too fast. Since the music starts in the bass, it is necessary to make the tone sink, and it is better to sink the fingers vertically, in order to get the deep, wide and broad sound effect of the music, and the chords need to be played neatly. Rachmaninoff's piano works do not have a clear speed limit, so the fingering changes can be rich and smooth. The character of the thematic material in the score determines the appropriate method of expression. The middle part of the piece is more lyrical, the tempo turns slower compared to the beginning and is characterized by arpeggios running continuously in the left hand. In this section, it is necessary to improve the rapid movement of the fingers, and at the same time try to maintain the consistency of the sound pattern, and this kind of weaving is an important means of mastering the technique of rapid and continuous playing. Through the flexible use of the wrist can play a certain role in the stretching of the hands, through the flexible movement of the wrist to make those large arpeggios play more fluid and coherent, and at the same time, the inner movement of the thumb also need to cooperate with the wrist to guide the fingers to the correct key. In addition, players with small hands can also expand the range of motion through lateral and circular movements of the wrist to play large arpeggios. Finger technique is entirely dependent on wrist dexterity.

2. Pedal and strength

Pedal can be used appropriately in the middle section of the performance. The rational use of the pedal is necessary in any work, but the player has to be treated according to the mood of the music, and dealt with appropriately. Due to the structural defects of the ancient piano, the Baroque era works without pedals to play the various parts of the voice, in the hearing of the melody and tone will become very monotonous, but the voice is clear. 19th century after the piano teaching advocate the appropriate use of pedals, and achieved good results, especially the "point type" with the pedal method. The bold use of the pedal in Ra's compositions better demonstrates the romantic grandeur of his works.

The intensity of the piece varies greatly, from pp to ff. Rachmaninoff himself was a great admirer of exaggerated, extreme variations in intensity. He made good use of the typical Romantic piano music intensity techniques such as broad intensity rhythms, strong intensity contrasts, and overall intensity laddering up and pushing to the climax. This characteristic is a specific manifestation of the Romantic style in the composition of his Preludes. The intensity markings in his Preludes are much denser than those of Chopin and his contemporary Scriabin, which shows the importance he attached to the expression of intensity in music. These intensity markings are necessary for the expression of the musical content, and are a reflection of the composer's emotional changes. In Rachmaninoff's Preludes, these intensity markings are the most characteristic part of his works, and also the most difficult in terms of technique. When we play the strong notes in the Prelude, we should use more power of the big arm, touch the keys y, and the continuous chords in the climax require considerable physical strength. The contrasts between strength and weakness also require the mobilization and control of the arm and even the whole body.

Rachmaninoff's 24 Preludes for piano play an important role in piano teaching, both in terms of music theory and performance techniques. The study of Rachmaninoff's piano works has substantial difficulty and depth, and is a must for all piano teachers and students.

Rachmaninoff is the last representative of late romanticism in the late 19th century in the Russian music masters, he left many influential musical works for future generations, for the Russian and the world music has made valuable contributions. His works are full of harmonies, beautiful melodies, distinctive rhythms, and delicate weaving, which are always filled with loud and firm voices that love life. He once said: "The music created by a composer should express the spirit of the country in which he was born, his love and beliefs, and the contents of his favorite books and paintings; music should be the sum of his life experiences. ...... I am a Russian composer, and my motherland defines my temperament and attitude towards the world. "