Sergei Rachmaninoff

This work was composed in 1891 and revised in 1917. The first complete performance was given on 29th January 1919 in New York by the Russian Symphony Orhestra with the composer as Soloist. This is a Piano reduction for 2 Pianos 4 Hands.

This authentic edition contains classic Piano works by Rachmaninoff with instructions and performance notes. Russian paintings from the period are featured on the cover.

Alongside HN 1264 (the Etude in e flat minor op. 39 5) Henle are now offering the Etude In C Major in a single edition taken from their much-loved complete edition of the 17 Études-Tableaux. Rachmaninoff greatly valued this work often included it in his concert programmes and also recorded it. A longing melody unfolds over a simple accompaniment. This charming piece that alternates between major and minoris a good technical exercise for the crossing over of the hands but does not contain nearly as many difficulties as Rachmaninoff?s other etudes and is thus also manageable by advanced amateurs. They will be aided in theHenle Urtext edition by the helpful fingerings provided by the virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin.

This book contains both the 1913 original edition and the revised edition of 1931. Beautifully produced with introductions and performance notes by Peter Donohoe.

Dramatic and lyrical by turns this work displays Rachmaninov's keyboard characteristics: intense Russian flavor rich and bold sonorities compelling rhythmic drive and brilliant virtuosity. Rachmaninov shows here a very fine grasp of the medium of two pianos his haunting sense of melody and his richly harmonic and rhythmic foundation. Altogether it ranks as a very important contribution to two-piano literature. Arranged for 2 Pianos 4 Hands this edition includes two complete copies of the work.

Rachmaninov premiered the Piano Concerto No. 3 Op. 30 in New York with the New York Symphony Orchestra led by Walter Damrosch on November 28 1909. The following January he played it with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustav Mahler. This a deep work which is full of virtuosic hurdles and lengthy cadenzas. Today this concerto carries the nickname of Rach 3 and has become the most popular choice among piano competition candidates wanting to perform a virtuoso display piece. This particular work is a reduction for two pianos.

Versions 1913 and 1931-L?une des plus importantes et significatives pages pour piano de Rachmaninov la Sonate en si bémol mineur est enfin disponible dans une édition Urtext digne de la partition et des problèmes éditoriaux qu?elle pose. Presque vingt ans après l?avoir écrite et publiée le compositeur la trouvait trop longue et trop dense d?écriture et il fit de nombreuses coupures et «allégements» qui continuent aujourd?hui d?être l?objet de critiques de la part des pianistes. Si bien que c?est la plupart du temps la première version qui est jouée ou un mélange des deux versions comme se le permettait par exemple Vladimir Horowitz avec l?autorisation de Rachmaninov. L?édition Henleexploite aussi le manuscrit autographe conservé aux Archives Glinka à Moscou. Comme pour toutes les ?uvres pour piano de Rachmaninov publiées chez Henle les doigtés sont de Marc-André Hamelin l?un des pianistes les plus remarquables de notre époque.

During his time Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.4 was continually dogged by criticism that it was work desperately seeking a style. Critics said the Fourth did not seem know where it was coming from or knew which way it was going. Concert goers who were swept away by the lyrical beauty of the Second and storming brilliance of the Third were expecting Rachmaninov's Fourth Concerto to have that similar emotional impact. Nevertheless there is a wonderful rhythmic tautness to this outstanding piece. The finale contains some of the Fourth's most attractive music. This particular work is a reduction for 2 pianos where the music's potency isn't compromised by it's lack ofan orchestra.

Opus 32 Nr. 5-Sergei Rachmaninov?s second book of Préludes op. 32 was written in the summer of 1910 at his family?s idyllic country house in Ivanovka. This sleepy rural area inspired the composer to this wonderful Impressionistic G-majorPrélude. It is not very difficult and is thus also suitable for advanced amateur pianists. Thanks to the cooperation of the Glinka Archive in Moscow all the autograph sources were consulted for this Henle Urtext edition of thePréludes. As in all of our Rachmaninov editions the fingerings are by Marc-André Hamelin.