Ivan Bessonov — Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D Major, Op. 23 No. 4

Ivan Bessonov — Rachmaninoff: Prelude in D Major, Op. 23 No. 4
伊凡貝索諾夫－拉赫曼尼諾夫：D大調前奏曲，作品23之4

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In this video, Ivan Bessonov performs Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in D Major, Op. 23 No. 4 (Andante cantabile), as an encore following a performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

THE STORY BEHIND THE MUSIC

Russia, 1903. Sergei Rachmaninoff was approaching his 30th birthday. Only a few years earlier, the disastrous reception of his First Symphony had shaken his confidence and interrupted his composing career.

With the help of physician Nikolai Dahl, Rachmaninoff returned to composition. His Piano Concerto No. 2, completed in 1901 and dedicated to Dahl, marked an important turning point.

In 1902, Rachmaninoff married Natalia Satina, his first cousin. Their marriage required overcoming restrictions imposed by the Russian Orthodox Church. Among those involved in the wedding was pianist Alexander Siloti, Rachmaninoff's cousin and former teacher.

Siloti was also the dedicatee of the Ten Preludes, Op. 23.

The Prelude in D Major, No. 4, dates from 1903. Its marking, Andante cantabile, asks the pianist to play at a walking pace, with a singing quality.

That same year, Rachmaninoff was also working on his Variations on a Theme of Chopin, Op. 22. Chopin had written 24 preludes covering every major and minor key, and Rachmaninoff would eventually do the same through his Op. 3, Op. 23 and Op. 32 collections.

The D Major Prelude unfolds through a melody supported by flowing accompaniment. Its central section develops the musical material before the opening atmosphere returns.

At this point in his life, Rachmaninoff was still living and composing in Russia. His permanent departure from the country would come only in 1917, and his later career would take him to concert halls across Europe and America.

Film Provided by Ivan Bessonov