Rachmaninoff D-major Prélude

Jane

It was a big deal when Sviatoslav Richter came and played in the United States in 1960.
He was supposed to play in Washington, DC, (near where I lived) but didn't.

But I was able to buy several two-LP sets of recordings of his Carnegie hall performances.
That was where I first heard the Rachmaninoff Op. 23, No. 4 Prélude in D-major. It sounded so comparatively sweet and simple next to the virtuosic G-minor Prélude that he also played. (And then I tried reading through it... LOL...)

Anyway, I had learned this piece some years ago, but recently decided to try to bring it back. It's one of those pieces that doesn't stick easily in my memory. (Although in my dotage, sadly very little does....)

Hilariously, youtube is also flagging this as a copyright violation...

danno858

It’s such a beautiful piece. I never really listened to it before. Thank you for sharing it! So nicely played, too.

KevinM

That was just lovely, thank you Jane.

BartK

Oh nice! I recently played this piece too. It's a tricky piece to pull off and play well, and like you said it doesn't stick in memory.

My favorite interpretaions are Lugansky and Sokolov.

Jane

Thanks, guys.

@BartK - I haven't listened to either of those. I'll make a note to do so.
Yes, it's tricky for me to balance the sound, and to separate the three voices on page 2.

PianogrlNW

Beautifully played, Jane! You seem so comfortable with this piece, like it’s an old friend.