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** One of the few compositions Rachmaninoff produced after emigrating to the United States after the Bolshevik Revolution was the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAu6BRWL8p8 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,]] a set of 24 variations on Paganini's Caprice No.24 in A minor. Though in one movement, the piece has a four-movement internal structure, opening not with the theme, but the first variation (a stripped-down version of the theme), and including several variations incorporating the "Dies irae" plainchant theme, a diptych of boisterous major key variations on an inversion of the theme, the emotional centre that is Variation 18 (also based on an inversion of the theme), and a coda after the final variation that ties together all the rhapsody's ideas before a comically understated final gesture.
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** One of the few compositions Rachmaninoff produced after emigrating to the United States after the Bolshevik Revolution was the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAu6BRWL8p8 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,]] a set of 24 variations on Paganini's Caprice No.24 in A minor. Though in one movement, the piece has a four-movement internal structure, opening not with the theme, but the first variation (a stripped-down version of the theme), and including several variations incorporating the "Dies irae" plainchant theme, a diptych of boisterous major key [[{{Scales}} key]] variations on an inversion of the theme, the emotional centre that is Variation 18 (also based on an inversion of the theme), and a coda after the final variation that ties together all the rhapsody's ideas before a comically understated final gesture.
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Also, "Moments musicaux" is plural, "Moment musical" is singular, "Moment musicaux" is neither one nor the other.
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* From the Moment Musicaux, No. 4 in E minor is heartwrenchingly beautiful. It gives off this feeling of deeply sorrowful and chaotic grief. It's Romanticism in the purest sense of the word.
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* From the Moment Moments Musicaux, No. 4 in E minor is heartwrenchingly beautiful. It gives off this feeling of deeply sorrowful and chaotic grief. It's Romanticism in the purest sense of the word.
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New examples go at the end of the page, not the beginning, and Rach only composed one set of Moments Musicaux, so the opus number is superfluous, as is a separate clause for the home key.
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* Moment Musicaux, Op. 16 No. 4 is heartwrenchingly beautiful. Set in the key of E minor, it gives off this feeling of deeply sorrowful and chaotic grief. It’s Romanticism in the purest sense of the word.
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* From the Moment Musicaux, No. 4 in E minor is heartwrenchingly beautiful. It gives off this feeling of deeply sorrowful and chaotic grief. It's Romanticism in the purest sense of the word.
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* Moment Musicaux, Op. 16 No. 4 is heartwrenchingly beautiful. Set in the key of E minor, it gives off this feeling of deeply sorrowful and chaotic grief. It’s Romanticism in the purest sense of the word.
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Rachmaninoff substantially edited the B-flat minor sonata between 1913 and 1931. The version linked to in these videos is a combination of the two editions rather than a simple rendition of the 1931 edition. Also, expanding "every one a winner" to "and every one of them is a winner" comes across as Word Cruft; they convey the same idea, but one uses fewer words.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, and every one of them is a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, and every one of them is a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYmRWVdd7A No.2 in B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYmRWVdd7A com/watch?v=CCXCuSv_BRg No.2 in B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.joy; Rachmaninoff originally composed the sonata in 1913 but tightened it structurally in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqYmRWVdd7A 1931]]. If you're not sure which you prefer, why not pick and choose your favourite parts from each edition? That's what Russian-born pianist [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs Vladimir]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 Ashkenazy]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 did.]]
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, and every one of them is a winner.
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There only needs to be one video per piece.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs No.2]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs com/watch?v=sqYmRWVdd7A No.2]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 2 in B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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The existing video of Argerich's 1980s performance uses the "standard" cadenza; here's a 2004 recording of Bronfman playing the "ossia". The readers can decide which they prefer.
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** More popular still is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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** More popular still is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! pages - especially if the soloist is brave enough to play the famous [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFkAwFDZGHk&t=10m11s "ossia" cadenza]]![[note]] Ordinarily, if a composer includes an alternative to a particular passage marked "ossia" (Italian for "alternatively"), it is intended to be less technically demanding. Not so here; the "ossia" cadenza is 16 measures longer and adds dense chords over the intricate passagework of the "standard" cadenza. Some technically gifted pianists play the "standard" cadenza anyway, as they feel it provides some much-needed lightness to the first movement; Rachmaninoff's own recording uses the "standard" cadenza, possibly to make it easier to fit onto 78 rpm records.[[/note]] The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Literature/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs No.2]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Literature/{{Faust}}'' ''Myth/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs No.2]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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More unnecessary grammar changes, bt8257? This entry could do with a bit of expansion, though.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is [[VindicatedByHistory/Music now]] one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is [[VindicatedByHistory/Music [[VindicatedByHistory now]] one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] was Rachmaninoff's first published composition and was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, with lots of showy moments for the soloist and orchestra.
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** Rachmaninoff composed his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] when he was Rachmaninoff's first published composition just 18.[[note]] He wasn't entirely satisfied with the result in later life, and re-wrote it extensively in 1917.[[/note]] He was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, starting with lots of showy moments the thundering parallel octave triplets as the piano jumps to centre stage after the opening brass fanfare. The melodic writing shows a composer still searching for an individual voice, but the soloist sheer youthful energy is irresistible, and orchestra.both the second movement and the slow interlude in the finale already show some of the lush romanticism that became his signature style.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is [[VindicatedByHistory now]] one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is [[VindicatedByHistory [[VindicatedByHistory/Music now]] one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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** Rachmaninoff's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] was his first published composition and was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, with lots of showy moments for the soloist and orchestra.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
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** Rachmaninoff's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] was his Rachmaninoff's first published composition and was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, with lots of showy moments for the soloist and orchestra.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of aseveral-year two-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a
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If there are multiple accepted spellings of a word, the rule is "first come, first served".
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** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose song-like melody was [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
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** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose song-like songlike melody was [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
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** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was "adapted" by Eric Carmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
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** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike song-like melody was "adapted" [[RockMeAmadeus "adapted"]] by Eric Carmen Music/EricCarmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
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Once again, putting the comma inside rather than outside the link is a "first come, first served" thing.
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** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor]], which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor]], minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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Just removing a superfluous word.
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* All of five of Rachmaninoff's compositions for piano and orchestra embody awesomeness to varying degrees. He wrote them to perform himself, and as he was one of the greatest piano virtuosi of his day, they are all very difficult to play, but amid the fireworks are some of the most outstanding melodies written for piano and orchestra.
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* All of five of Rachmaninoff's compositions for piano and orchestra embody awesomeness to varying degrees. He wrote them to perform himself, and as he was one of the greatest piano virtuosi of his day, they are all very difficult to play, but amid the fireworks are some of the most outstanding melodies written for piano and orchestra.
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** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] minor]], which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
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bt8257, I've told you about this repeatedly. Stop the unnecessary grammar changes. If there are two or more correct ways to write something, the rule is "first come, first served".
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* Rachmaninoff, though he didn't originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he didn't did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
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* Rachmaninoff, though he did not didn't originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is now one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is now [[VindicatedByHistory now]] one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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* Rachmaninoff also wrote liturgical choir music for the Russian Ortodox Church, and his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRt-o0XwZ4 All-Night Vigil]], and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94ePzs14Nc Liturgy for Saint John Chrysostom]] are spiritual masterpieces.
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* Rachmaninoff also wrote liturgical choir music for the Russian Ortodox Orthodox Church, and his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRt-o0XwZ4 All-Night Vigil]], and the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94ePzs14Nc Liturgy for Saint John Chrysostom]] are spiritual masterpieces.
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* Rachmaninoff also wrote liturgical choir music for the Russian Ortodox Church, and his ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRt-o0XwZ4 All-Night Vigil]]'', and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94ePzs14Nc Liturgy for Saint John Chrysostom]]'' are spiritual masterpieces.
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* Rachmaninoff also wrote liturgical choir music for the Russian Ortodox Church, and his ''[[https://www.[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRt-o0XwZ4 All-Night Vigil]]'', Vigil]], and ''[[https://www.the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94ePzs14Nc Liturgy for Saint John Chrysostom]]'' Chrysostom]] are spiritual masterpieces.
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* Rachmaninoff also wrote liturgical choir music for the Russian Ortodox Church, and his ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRt-o0XwZ4 All-Night Vigil]]'', and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94ePzs14Nc Liturgy for Saint John Chrysostom]]'' are spiritual masterpieces.
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** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMcdWJv7cI Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor]] is the shortest and least performed of Rachmaninoff's piano concerti, and one of his most abstract and experimental compositions; though he was not a fan of the music of such composers as Bartók, Stravinsky, and the members of Les Six and the Second Viennese School, he was still aware of it, and while the results of his acknowledgement have divided critics, they are never less than compelling, especially in the second movement.
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** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMcdWJv7cI Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor]] is the shortest and least performed of Rachmaninoff's piano concerti, and one of his most abstract and experimental compositions; though he was not a fan of the music of such composers as Bartók, Stravinsky, and the members of Les Six[[note]] A name coined by critic Henri Collet for the Montparnasse-based composers Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Francois Poulenc, and Germaine Tailleferre; though the members of Les Six were friends and did occasionally collaborate on suites of short pieces, they found the idea that they represented a united artistic movement laughable, as their styles were very different.[[/note]] and the Second Viennese School, School,[[note]] Exemplified by Arnold Schönberg and his students Alban Berg and Anton Webern, all pioneers of atonality and serialism.[[/note]] he was still aware of it, and while the results of his acknowledgement have divided critics, they are never less than compelling, especially in the second movement.
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I suppose it was inevitable: AwesomeMusic.Classical is getting too large. Time to split off some composers onto individual pages. Say what you will about Rachmaninoff, his music certainly leaves an impression!
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Music/SergeiRachmaninoff, though regarded as behind the times while he was alive, is now one of the most celebrated and beloved composers of the early 20th century.
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* "Vocalise", Op.34 No.14, is his most well-known vocal work, and has been arranged for almost every conceivable collection of instruments. Its haunting beauty definitely earns it a place on this page.
* All of five of Rachmaninoff's compositions for piano and orchestra embody awesomeness to varying degrees. He wrote them to perform himself, and as he was one of the greatest piano virtuosi of his day, they are all very difficult to play, but amid the fireworks are some of the most outstanding melodies written for piano and orchestra.
** Rachmaninoff's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] was his first published composition and was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, with lots of showy moments for the soloist and orchestra.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was "adapted" by Eric Carmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMcdWJv7cI Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor]] is the shortest and least performed of Rachmaninoff's piano concerti, and one of his most abstract and experimental compositions; though he was not a fan of the music of such composers as Bartók, Stravinsky, and the members of Les Six and the Second Viennese School, he was still aware of it, and while the results of his acknowledgement have divided critics, they are never less than compelling, especially in the second movement.
** One of the few compositions Rachmaninoff produced after emigrating to the United States after the Bolshevik Revolution was the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAu6BRWL8p8 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,]] a set of 24 variations on Paganini's Caprice No.24 in A minor. Though in one movement, the piece has a four-movement internal structure, opening not with the theme, but the first variation (a stripped-down version of the theme), and including several variations incorporating the "Dies irae" plainchant theme, a diptych of boisterous major key variations on an inversion of the theme, the emotional centre that is Variation 18 (also based on an inversion of the theme), and a coda after the final variation that ties together all the rhapsody's ideas before a comically understated final gesture.
* Of Rachmaninoff's three symphonies, the most often performed and recorded is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuZXplBB35Q No.2 in E minor]], and with good reason - from the ever-shifting emotional expanse of the first movement, to the fiery energy of the second, to the serene, clarinet solo-led third, to the unbridled triumph of the finale, the symphony is pure awesome from start to finish.
* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
** The first to be composed, the weighty [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKYkssqyYkc Op.3 No.2 in C-sharp minor]], is [[FirstInstallmentWins by far the most famous]] (though [[MagnumOpusDissonance Rachmaninoff grew to detest it]]). It may be one of the simplest preludes from a structural (and technical) standpoint, but that doesn't detract from its awesomeness. Its three-note opening figure dominates the rest of the work, and the agitated alternating chords that cap off the centre section and the big block chords in both hands when the opening section is repeated at the end are exhilarating to hear and play.
** The 10 Preludes, Op.23, were part of the same flurry of creativity as the second piano concerto. The brilliant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiYT0Iu9Hnw No.2 in B-flat major]] starts with an alternately soaring and swooping accompanying figure under a syncopated melody, and just gets better from there; the buildup to the return of the opening melody is a particular highlight. The stately [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJkPfTsEcE No.3 in D minor]] is the most richly contrapuntal of Rachmaninoff's preludes, the opening five-note figure providing the thread for an elaborate tapestry of melodies weaving around each other. The marchlike [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFCCHjLzjs No.5 in G minor]] is the most famous of the set, its crashing chords and descending parallel octaves framing a slower centre section of harmonic tension. And the non-stop whirlwind trifecta of the dizzying [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyxpeLh7z3s No.7 in C minor]], the sparkling [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnLyzrHJx_I No.8 in A-flat major]], and the troubled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSaoGWXxhzc No.9 in E-flat minor]] (noted for its extremely difficult double-note figures in the right hand) will leave any pianist or listener breathless.
** The 13 Preludes, Op.32, open with the rousing [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTlH3PuE11M No.1 in C major]], a finger-loosener that prepares artist and audience alike for the rollercoaster to come. The uneasy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwHr4D17D2c No.2 in B-flat minor]] doesn't properly resolve into its home key until the final bars; the ''accelerando'' into the centre section in which the right hand gallops back and forth over an octave and a half is a high point. The flamboyant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf08dQHlCDk No.3 in E major]] starts with a thundering quadruple-octave figure which provides the foundation for a triumphant climax. The expansive [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmewkYtGOBo No.4 in E minor]] goes through a vast spectrum of emotions, alternating gradual journeys up and down the register until building to a furious chordal passage. The intense [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL58c1TYDRs No.6 in F minor]] features lightning quick passagework passed across both hands. The frenzied [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BALJxAwh4RQ No.8 in A minor]] opens with a simple three-note figure over a fast accompaniment, and builds on these ideas in ingenious ways. The buoyant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6BPxDbi7j8 No.9 in A major]] is another masterpiece of counterpoint, sounding at times as though there must be three hands playing at once. The plaintive [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13UlKWgwdZI No.12 in G-sharp minor]], the most famous of the set, is both scintillating and heartrending. And the titanic concluding [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacHEJYJflM No.13 in D-flat major]] not only provides still more fast passagework, heavy chords, and dense counterpoint between the melody and accompanying figures, but also ties up the set neatly with many quotes of the three-note figure from the C-sharp minor prelude and a reference to the chords from its final measures, its atmosphere transformed from solemnity to victory.
** Even the low-key preludes, if less extroverted, are still ingeniously assembled and provide more subtle moments of awesome for the performer. From Op.23, the doleful [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCR3HjYwyw No.1 in F-sharp minor]] features long melodic lines that require many moments of crossed hands, building to a powerful climax and then ebbing away again; the serene [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qoPDQzXVmk No.4 in D major]] weaves first one, then two meandering accompanying figures around the songlike melody at its centre; the tranquil [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0EBMHFsEwY No.6 in E-flat major]] casts another songlike melody against a wandering accompaniment, then adds a countermelody for the second half; and the gentle [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HruGWkZrnOc No.10 in G-flat major]], almost lullaby-like, adds ever more layers of counterpoint as it moves toward a majestic final measure. From Op.32, the ethereal [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q-7WeFsooM No.5 in G major]] places an airy melody over a shimmering accompaniment to provide an antithesis to the earlier G minor prelude; the languid [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU4ykg4CeOU No.7 in F major]] makes excellent use of harmonic suspensions in both the melody and the accompaniment; the devastating [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE6vin5GPWA No.10 in B minor]] uses its rich chordal texture to memorably haunting effect, especially in the centre section; and the flighty [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKzUSSXdSsU No.11 in B major]] hides a sorrow which gives way to inner peace in the final measures.
* The two sets of Etudes-Tableaux, Op.33 and Op.39, have plenty of awesome pieces, each with a story to tell (though usually a story Rachmaninoff preferred to leave to the imagination of the performer or listener).
** The first set opens with the martial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qRkaU0xN3o No.1 in F minor]], its alternating fire and ice creating a gloriously dark atmosphere. The florid [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y0ORcgnByM No.6 in E-flat minor]] spins its way up and down the piano's register, providing a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for any pianist who can get through it without stumbling. The flashy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD-RzA4KvGE No.7 in E-flat major]] is by far the happiest of the first set (and among the few for which Rachmaninoff disclosed a story: a day at a carnival), ending with an extroverted statement of Rachmaninoff's rhythmic monogram (which also ends the second and third piano concerti). The tempestuous [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIGhlIkpJ0c No.9 in C-sharp minor]] may not be harmonically adventurous, but the storm of chords and double octaves provide a perfect conclusion to the set.
** The second set, in which all but the last piece quotes the "Dies irae" melody at some point, starts with the unsettled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whUhTYya8YU No.1 in C minor]], the stormclouds finally unleashing their fury in the final measures. The jittery [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US4XrzR27TQ No.3 in F-sharp minor]] stumbles and tumbles its way through its uneven rhythms and minor-key gloom. The sober [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWLotW5AKjg No.4 in B minor]] is filled with rapid block chords that can vex the performer but fascinate the listener. The grandiose [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAV3Zj5Qngo No.5 in E-flat minor]] is perhaps the most famous of the set, sweeping through a wide emotional landscape before settling into its tranquil conclusion. The sinister [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPLmzoS1n2g No.6 in A minor]], sometimes regarded as the most difficult of either set, is a vivid depiction of the meeting of Literature/LittleRedRidingHood (with a flighty upper register theme) and the wolf (represented by lower register rumblings). And the triumphant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh1utHHZnSc No.9 in D major]] combines block chords and acrobatic leaps up and down the piano to provide an outstanding and memorable finale.
* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Literature/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs No.2]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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* "Vocalise", Op.34 No.14, is his most well-known vocal work, and has been arranged for almost every conceivable collection of instruments. Its haunting beauty definitely earns it a place on this page.
* All of five of Rachmaninoff's compositions for piano and orchestra embody awesomeness to varying degrees. He wrote them to perform himself, and as he was one of the greatest piano virtuosi of his day, they are all very difficult to play, but amid the fireworks are some of the most outstanding melodies written for piano and orchestra.
** Rachmaninoff's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZfEeJkqaFE Piano Concerto No.1 in F-sharp minor]] was his first published composition and was inspired by the Grieg concerto, which was in turn inspired by the Schumann concerto, but for a "copy of a copy" it still manages to be a sharply-defined and brilliant piece, with lots of showy moments for the soloist and orchestra.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vna-_bCgb70 Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor]] was the piece with which Rachmaninoff snapped out of a several-year creative funk following the disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.1, and by this point he had settled more thoroughly into the lush, emotionally charged style that dominated most of his output. From the hushed chords for solo piano in the very first measures (which re-appear near the beginning of the finale in the orchestra) to the flying and diving accompaniment to the orchestra's weighty main theme in the first movement, to a second movement whose songlike melody was "adapted" by Eric Carmen into "All by Myself", to a finale that works its way from tragedy to triumph, it remains one of the composer's most popular works.
** More popular still is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOfoW5_2iE Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor,]] which is regularly named alongside the second concerti of Bartók, Prokofiev, and especially Brahms as a candidate for ''the'' most difficult concerto in the standard repertoire.[[note]] As to which is most difficult of all, that topic regularly spawns long Internet discussion threads, though the Rachmaninoff has perhaps the most daunting reputation as it is more frequently performed and recorded than the Bartók or Prokofiev concerti, and its solo part is more extroverted and flashy than that of the Brahms concerto.[[/note]] The almost vocal opening melody, doubled up across the hands, sounds simple enough, but later in the first movement there are individual measures that include more notes than the first two pages! The fireworks are even flashier in the finale, but the concerto finds time for emotional sensitivity as well, particularly in the second movement and the E-flat major interlude in the third movement.
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMcdWJv7cI Piano Concerto No.4 in G minor]] is the shortest and least performed of Rachmaninoff's piano concerti, and one of his most abstract and experimental compositions; though he was not a fan of the music of such composers as Bartók, Stravinsky, and the members of Les Six and the Second Viennese School, he was still aware of it, and while the results of his acknowledgement have divided critics, they are never less than compelling, especially in the second movement.
** One of the few compositions Rachmaninoff produced after emigrating to the United States after the Bolshevik Revolution was the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAu6BRWL8p8 Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini,]] a set of 24 variations on Paganini's Caprice No.24 in A minor. Though in one movement, the piece has a four-movement internal structure, opening not with the theme, but the first variation (a stripped-down version of the theme), and including several variations incorporating the "Dies irae" plainchant theme, a diptych of boisterous major key variations on an inversion of the theme, the emotional centre that is Variation 18 (also based on an inversion of the theme), and a coda after the final variation that ties together all the rhapsody's ideas before a comically understated final gesture.
* Of Rachmaninoff's three symphonies, the most often performed and recorded is [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuZXplBB35Q No.2 in E minor]], and with good reason - from the ever-shifting emotional expanse of the first movement, to the fiery energy of the second, to the serene, clarinet solo-led third, to the unbridled triumph of the finale, the symphony is pure awesome from start to finish.
* Rachmaninoff, though he did not originally plan to do so, wrote a full set of 24 preludes in the major and minor keys, every one a winner.
** The first to be composed, the weighty [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKYkssqyYkc Op.3 No.2 in C-sharp minor]], is [[FirstInstallmentWins by far the most famous]] (though [[MagnumOpusDissonance Rachmaninoff grew to detest it]]). It may be one of the simplest preludes from a structural (and technical) standpoint, but that doesn't detract from its awesomeness. Its three-note opening figure dominates the rest of the work, and the agitated alternating chords that cap off the centre section and the big block chords in both hands when the opening section is repeated at the end are exhilarating to hear and play.
** The 10 Preludes, Op.23, were part of the same flurry of creativity as the second piano concerto. The brilliant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiYT0Iu9Hnw No.2 in B-flat major]] starts with an alternately soaring and swooping accompanying figure under a syncopated melody, and just gets better from there; the buildup to the return of the opening melody is a particular highlight. The stately [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pJkPfTsEcE No.3 in D minor]] is the most richly contrapuntal of Rachmaninoff's preludes, the opening five-note figure providing the thread for an elaborate tapestry of melodies weaving around each other. The marchlike [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFCCHjLzjs No.5 in G minor]] is the most famous of the set, its crashing chords and descending parallel octaves framing a slower centre section of harmonic tension. And the non-stop whirlwind trifecta of the dizzying [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyxpeLh7z3s No.7 in C minor]], the sparkling [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnLyzrHJx_I No.8 in A-flat major]], and the troubled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSaoGWXxhzc No.9 in E-flat minor]] (noted for its extremely difficult double-note figures in the right hand) will leave any pianist or listener breathless.
** The 13 Preludes, Op.32, open with the rousing [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTlH3PuE11M No.1 in C major]], a finger-loosener that prepares artist and audience alike for the rollercoaster to come. The uneasy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwHr4D17D2c No.2 in B-flat minor]] doesn't properly resolve into its home key until the final bars; the ''accelerando'' into the centre section in which the right hand gallops back and forth over an octave and a half is a high point. The flamboyant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf08dQHlCDk No.3 in E major]] starts with a thundering quadruple-octave figure which provides the foundation for a triumphant climax. The expansive [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmewkYtGOBo No.4 in E minor]] goes through a vast spectrum of emotions, alternating gradual journeys up and down the register until building to a furious chordal passage. The intense [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL58c1TYDRs No.6 in F minor]] features lightning quick passagework passed across both hands. The frenzied [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BALJxAwh4RQ No.8 in A minor]] opens with a simple three-note figure over a fast accompaniment, and builds on these ideas in ingenious ways. The buoyant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6BPxDbi7j8 No.9 in A major]] is another masterpiece of counterpoint, sounding at times as though there must be three hands playing at once. The plaintive [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13UlKWgwdZI No.12 in G-sharp minor]], the most famous of the set, is both scintillating and heartrending. And the titanic concluding [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacHEJYJflM No.13 in D-flat major]] not only provides still more fast passagework, heavy chords, and dense counterpoint between the melody and accompanying figures, but also ties up the set neatly with many quotes of the three-note figure from the C-sharp minor prelude and a reference to the chords from its final measures, its atmosphere transformed from solemnity to victory.
** Even the low-key preludes, if less extroverted, are still ingeniously assembled and provide more subtle moments of awesome for the performer. From Op.23, the doleful [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xCR3HjYwyw No.1 in F-sharp minor]] features long melodic lines that require many moments of crossed hands, building to a powerful climax and then ebbing away again; the serene [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qoPDQzXVmk No.4 in D major]] weaves first one, then two meandering accompanying figures around the songlike melody at its centre; the tranquil [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0EBMHFsEwY No.6 in E-flat major]] casts another songlike melody against a wandering accompaniment, then adds a countermelody for the second half; and the gentle [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HruGWkZrnOc No.10 in G-flat major]], almost lullaby-like, adds ever more layers of counterpoint as it moves toward a majestic final measure. From Op.32, the ethereal [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q-7WeFsooM No.5 in G major]] places an airy melody over a shimmering accompaniment to provide an antithesis to the earlier G minor prelude; the languid [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU4ykg4CeOU No.7 in F major]] makes excellent use of harmonic suspensions in both the melody and the accompaniment; the devastating [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE6vin5GPWA No.10 in B minor]] uses its rich chordal texture to memorably haunting effect, especially in the centre section; and the flighty [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKzUSSXdSsU No.11 in B major]] hides a sorrow which gives way to inner peace in the final measures.
* The two sets of Etudes-Tableaux, Op.33 and Op.39, have plenty of awesome pieces, each with a story to tell (though usually a story Rachmaninoff preferred to leave to the imagination of the performer or listener).
** The first set opens with the martial [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qRkaU0xN3o No.1 in F minor]], its alternating fire and ice creating a gloriously dark atmosphere. The florid [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y0ORcgnByM No.6 in E-flat minor]] spins its way up and down the piano's register, providing a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for any pianist who can get through it without stumbling. The flashy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD-RzA4KvGE No.7 in E-flat major]] is by far the happiest of the first set (and among the few for which Rachmaninoff disclosed a story: a day at a carnival), ending with an extroverted statement of Rachmaninoff's rhythmic monogram (which also ends the second and third piano concerti). The tempestuous [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIGhlIkpJ0c No.9 in C-sharp minor]] may not be harmonically adventurous, but the storm of chords and double octaves provide a perfect conclusion to the set.
** The second set, in which all but the last piece quotes the "Dies irae" melody at some point, starts with the unsettled [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whUhTYya8YU No.1 in C minor]], the stormclouds finally unleashing their fury in the final measures. The jittery [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=US4XrzR27TQ No.3 in F-sharp minor]] stumbles and tumbles its way through its uneven rhythms and minor-key gloom. The sober [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWLotW5AKjg No.4 in B minor]] is filled with rapid block chords that can vex the performer but fascinate the listener. The grandiose [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAV3Zj5Qngo No.5 in E-flat minor]] is perhaps the most famous of the set, sweeping through a wide emotional landscape before settling into its tranquil conclusion. The sinister [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPLmzoS1n2g No.6 in A minor]], sometimes regarded as the most difficult of either set, is a vivid depiction of the meeting of Literature/LittleRedRidingHood (with a flighty upper register theme) and the wolf (represented by lower register rumblings). And the triumphant [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh1utHHZnSc No.9 in D major]] combines block chords and acrobatic leaps up and down the piano to provide an outstanding and memorable finale.
* Rachmaninoff's two piano sonatas are seldom performed or recorded (the first one especially), but they rank alongside the very best of his compositions. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEufENQKRlU No.1 in D minor]][[note]] said by some to be a depiction of the ''Literature/{{Faust}}'' legend, but this is disputed[[/note]] frames a slow movement of outstanding serenity with a dramatic opening movement and a non-stop fireworks display of a finale. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adP36ytNJjs No.2]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW3HdYFOQQ8 in]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKSvbpP5nK0 B-flat minor]] has a similarly fiery first movement, but moves into a beautiful yet solemn slow movement followed by a major-key finale of pure joy.
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