Rachmaninov – Prelude in C-Sharp Minor – Kissin, Piano

Sergei Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C-Sharp Minor Op. 3, No. 2, is one of the composer’s most famous compositions. Part of a set of five piano pieces entitled Morceaux de fantaisie, it is also known as The Bells of Moscow since the introduction seems to reproduce the Kremlin’s most solemn carillon chimes. Its first performance was by the composer on 26 September 1892, at a festival called the Moscow Electrical Exhibition. After this première, a review of the concert singled out the Prelude, noting that it had “aroused enthusiasm”. From this point on, its popularity grew. – Evgeny Kissin WikipediaEvgeny Kissin Website

Prelude in C-Sharp Minor: others performances

Emil Gilels

Vladimir Askhenazy (with sheet music)

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Lazar Berman