The ACHING BEAUTY of Rachmaninoff Prelude in D major, Op. 23 no. 4 - Analysis

[@SonataSecrets]

For those of you who want to see my rendition of the music only, I have done it on this piece and uploaded it on my "musician" channel here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqW0Z4SFm8x1rdk

[@FueganTV]

One of the most advanced and profoundly beatiful pieces in the piano literature.

[@ciararespect4296]

Try sorabji lol this is sight readable

[@lukeharrison8753]

⁠@@ciararespect4296it’s not always about difficulty….

[@AntonAchondoa]

​@@ciararespect4296but is Sorabji beautiful enough that you'd be fine listening to it at the moment of death?

[@ciararespect4296]

@@AntonAchondoa nope it has a few moments but mostly just filler

[@williamsackelariou1860]

I think you are exagerating lt is lovely but hardly profound.

[@Galaxzier]

It is impossible to describe the emotions this prelude causes me. Masterpiece

[@ericrakestraw664]

This piece reminds me so much of the Brahms intermezzi composed a decade earlier with the widely spaced arpeggios in the bass, melody in the middle voice against a beautiful counterpoint in the top voice, and of course duplet against triplet cross rhythms. Rachmaninoff must have loved playing Brahms' piano music.

[@Strawberryfreak]

which intermezzo is that?

[@ericrakestraw664]

@@StrawberryfreakAny of the intermezzi from Op. 116 to 119.

[@kiirakorpi3965]

I always think this piece as the sunset over water. The left hand arpeggios mimic waves while the extremely warm melody on the right hand is like the sunshine at dusk - beautiful, stunning but not glaring.

[@peterbrenton410]

I like your impression.Much of Rachmaninov's music has a feeling of movement depicted by the sea currents and waves (a good example being his ' Isle of the dead' opening bars etc.) as you described and crashing against the rocks by certain orchestral passagework.

[@JakeMDavey]

I learnt this during my second year at university, I agree regarding the hand crossing. I think it’s music to be seen as well as heard, with the crossing being visually performative. The same for the octaves in the bass of the G minor prelude (which would be easier to play with the left hand alone), but watching the pianist bounce from left to right with both hands does make for a good performance! I performed this along with the E flat major prelude which is also very beautiful and similar to the 2nd concerto, would love to see a video on that one or any other Rach preludes!

[@khenali25u8]

I acutally plan on walking down the aisle to this piece when i get married. I also plan on learning it myself once i get to that level. A gorgeous gorgeous piece that to me embodies love so much and passion

[@charlesedward5216]

This is one of the pieces that I learned in undergrad school over 50 years ago that I still play. Wonderful composition.

[@clementbeaudonnat1381]

So beautiful and instructive Rachmaninov when writing the piece: “there is not enough room in one bar for all this arpeggios, let’s write them as rolling chords !”

[@adityasambhare]

"Bathing in sound", what a lovely phrase! This is my favourite of all the Preludes, and now I know, a little bit, why I like it. Many thanks for this analysis.😃

[@789armstrong]

Thank you for illuminating this masterpiece so clearly.

[@alexyork9917]

A beautiful piece, one of my favourites and a fantastic analysis from Henrik. I'm surprised he didn't mention the similarity (at least at the start) with the Chopin nocturne in Db, the start of the melody is almost identical. Surely this was a homage from Rachmaninoff who we know admired Chopin greatly. Also, that chord at 14.30, E half diminished over A is Rachmaninoff's signature sound. You hear that chord many times in his 2nd and 3rd piano concertos. A beautiful dissonant chord which is really just a double suspension over the dominant seventh (Bb and D taking the place of A and C#).

[@nikanm17]

Sir Your Channel is ACHINGLY goooood i love you and your channel you motivate me to follow my love of playing classical music on my piano and also follow the gift of classical music in general i also wish the best of luck to you and i want to thank you again for making all of these informative and fun videos for us to enjoy you are awesome!

[@puuxexil]

Thank you for breaking this down and geeking out on the music (as I do). 8:41, I have a difficult time playing this chord, (C#, D, A, C#) and it seems the best I can do is hit the D with the my "thumb-heel"

[@LisztyLiszt]

Play the D with the tip of the thumb and let the knuckle catch the C#. You're welcome.

[@pedrod.7576]

Nice view of the hands from above! It really helps us amateurs follow the fingering.

[@jf2602]

This piece reminds me of a Chinese poem: 一道残阳铺水中， 半江瑟瑟半江红。 可怜九月初三夜， 露似真珠月似弓。 A waning sunlight beam on the water, Half the river blue and half rufescent. What delights on this ninth month and third night, Is dew like real pearls, the moon a bow bent.

[@jackgulley5789]

Beautiful

[@bolldamm3966]

Thank you for the analysis, Henrik. What I find especially interesting and useful in your analysis is when you illustrate other ways a particular sequence or build-up *could have been* resolved. These "could have beens" make it so much clearer what it is that Rachmaninov did that makes his music so effective.

[@atmadeepmukherjee5550]

Sir, words cannot express how beautiful your rendition of this piece is! It is one of my favourite pieces, even more so after your resplendent rendition and analysis!

[@mefirst5427]

Would love going back in time and attend Rachmaninoff giving a masterclass in composition.

[@bakcheezai4460]

I don't think I've ever been this early to a video of yours; the moment I saw my favourite Rach prelude show up I had to drop everything (including exam revision, apparently) and click. I've tried to learn this piece myself between my uni work and practice for DipABRSM (which is now being phased out so I have to take ARSM instead), and boy, it's a lot of work. Between the polyrhythms that switch between the hands, the huge chords that my little hands (they barely reach a 10th) cannot really handle as well as I want to, and the dynamics of the voices within the hands, I think this one is going to take me a while... Back to the video: thank you again for a very good analysis that captures the "beautiful and bittersweet at points" feeling this piece has. I've noticed a couple things myself, though: 1. The "starlight" notes in the third A section of the main theme are also the first note of the high voice in the second A section. Both are a sixth above the note in the main melody. 2. The brief turn to minor in the coda could be a reference to the end wave of the second A section. The G minor/E half diminished chord is identical, and both times it resolves back to D. P.S. YES Rach cello sonata! And that section too! Absolutely beautiful section, and beautiful playing.

[@Mitchellyap12]

Amazing analysis Henrik!

[@ilovebach1010]

I have been following you for a long time. I really love these analysis and teachings... and love your new haircut!

[@8413Lucas]

Definitely one of my favourite preludes, I was recently thinking of learning it. Thank you for this amazing analysis!

[@SvetoslavAtanasov]

thank you for the beautiful playing, great breakdown and such a details following of the score! I find a lot of famous pianists do not follow the score, not that you have to be a slave to it. Your narration is great to listen to!

[@pdxxx97266]

That’s just too much achingly beautiful music for one to bear in a single episode! And thanks for the outstanding bonus. Being a cello player, I always jokingly referred to it as a ‘piano’ sonata (with cello) 😅. I also wanted to mention that the video production has noticeably improved over time, with higher picture and sound quality, improved lighting and color coordination, clear screen dividers and notation, spiffier outfits and haircuts, and the always insightful commentary. Thank you!!

[@craggyisland8770]

Thank you for doing these. I know it’s a lot of work but we appreciate it! 🎶

[@MrTedflick]

This is my favorite piece in the Romantic repertoire both to play and listen to. I enjoyed your dissection of it.

[@yigangxu4463]

The lighting on the keyboard is crisp and adds a very unique touch!

[@beth9603]

This analysis popped up at the perfect time, i am currently learning this prelude. Thank you

[@TheMusicalKnokcers]

Love how consistent you are with the amazing content. Thank you for having this Channel

[@r.i.p.volodya]

Very interesting - thank you. I'd forgotten about this beautiful prelude...

[@maxjohn6012]

I discovered this piece recently and am now waiting for my copy to be delivered - I absolutely fell in love with it, and I really appreciate your explanation and demonstration. The only thing which would make the video better would be if you had another camera showing your pedaling - it would be particularly helpful in a piece like this because the pedal is so important. Great video though, thanks for making it.

[@martinadams5382]

Thanks a million for your excellent analysis of this beautiful work. I only discovered it a month ago and am enjoying studying it immensely.

[@peterbrenton410]

Beautifully demonstrated, super interesting and inspiring all round .Thank you

[@vassilycarantino6835]

Thank you so much for sharing your tremendously insightful analysis of this masterpiece! I really like the format with the score and the piano view. Amazing work!

[@Juliengrosse74]

Thanks for sharing this work

[@neilkilleen3911]

You can distribute the notes (esp. p 1 &2) between both hands without all the crossing. Works really well and does not muddy the melody which is handled by both hands. See Alfred Masterwork edition ed Murray Baylor At 22:50 you comment on leaving out a note at measure 61 in RH. If you play 1235 1 5 I find I can be reliable (and you have 100x my technique !). So you jump to the A (from the C) on the thumb and then the A octave higher is easy with 5. I don’t want to give up any of the notes!! Also, those “Russian bells” (starting measure 53), should, IMHO be of lesser dynamic than the preceding chords (Ashkenazy recording is magnificent for this). Your analysis is so very helpful. I’ve been learning this for 4 months (just an amateur) and now I’m trying to commit to memory. The analysis helps a lot with that. Glorious isn’t it - so elastic …

[@adrianwright8685]

I also did this quite naturally using both hands - it just seems so much more sensible especially as you say for first two pages. But having seen all the pro's doing as written mainly for left hand it almost seems like cheating!?

[@memeguaia]

What an amazing video

[@ThePianoenergy]

Thank you for this enthusiastic video. I am curious to know what your recording setup is as you can play and talk at the same time and the piano sound is still good! It seems that that lavalier mic is only picking up the voice, not the piano...Great job!

[@LisztyLiszt]

Tip: At 9:01 play the RH chord with the tip of the thumb on the D, with the knuckle catching the C#. Otherwise, it's a very awkward stretch even for those with a good span.

[@davidstokar887]

Excellent

[@margarethansen7480]

Extremelly beautiful Prelude!! Thanks, as always a loving analysis ❤❤❤❤

[@kenelliott8944]

I've seen several comments and her several people talk about the hand crossings if it's really something difficult . . . I've played this piece many times and I actually never thought and crossings or anything unusual. I didn't think they were difficult or excessive hand crossings were just a non-issue for me I guess. I guess my point is I wouldn't worry about hand crossings if you're thinking of playing this

[@anaramirezgarcia-mina4625]

Great analysis, thank you!!!

[@pjbpiano]

05:15 It looks more like he was simply harmonizing the F# note with the A# because both eventually go upward to B and G respectively. A minor would have been Bb rather than A#.

[@TaTopePia]

God this video (and piece) slaps so hard. A+ stuff

[@brooklynvanriet7222]

Amazing was thinking last week how amazing it would be if u would analyse this piece here it is 😁

[@SonataSecrets]

Jackpot!

[@PiotrstrashcanŚmietnikPiotra]

Wow, I can see we're using totally different fingering! I love this piece. It has got literally everything. At 11:23 - I think you got this timing incorrectly, it is 4 against 3 and you play them together. At 20:22 - it sounds that you play one wrong note there. And don't mean to be a smart guy, just noticed.

[@pinzer-b6c]

Listen at the Sofronitsky and Richter's renditions. These two, are so different, but so magical. Do not talk nonsenses... .

[@sarahjackson2397]

I always play left hand OVER right, not right over left. How do you all do it?

[@nordicmind]

Thank you for another wonderful video. I understand how annoying it is to receive requests in the comments; so, I'll refrain from making one. Instead, I'd like to express the hope that one day, through your own inspiration, you might feel like making a video about Rachmaninov's Prelude in D flat op. 32 no. 13.

[@ahmedbihery]

Very beautiful ❤️

[@SuperKripke]

9:00 Damn how does he make this Emin 7 chord look so easy?

[@abderxd1345]

Can you do liszt's Petrarca Sonnets ?

[@andreaalbarracin4150]

Hermoso!!!

[@timflatus]

You have a lot of noise on the low end. Perhaps consider rolling off from 40 Hz - you don't need anything under 25 Hz - it would help get rid of the mechanical rumbling from pedals.

[@nezkeys79]

Very nice but the other famous prelude of his evokes more emotion in me Also Liszt and Chopin in general just have more pieces that stir me emotionally

[@unclvinny]

Am I crazy, or is there an orchestral version of this piece? I could swear I’ve heard this same melody in something that wasn’t just solo piano.

[@TrinkBruder]

Its playable

[@marcoponzio1644]

5:24 THAT'S NOT G MINOR, that's a sharp, not b flat. It doesn't even sound minor

[@joeykremple]

What do you all think of Alexis Weissenberg’s recording of this piece?

[@kenelliott8944]

The tempo on this for my taste was too slow. I just feel like the melody on this should be like a brook where the water is bubbling over the rocks and I kind of feel like the water got stuck on the rocks with this slow tempo . . . It lost its gracious sense of flow I felt in my opinion.

[@beth9603]

This is why artistic interpretation is so interesting - i actually i found this version a little too fast for my taste! I can visualise a countryside scene, far off church bells and black fir trees frosted against the twilight sky...