Ten Preludes, Op. 23, is a set of ten preludes for solo piano, composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1901 and 1903. This set includes the famous Prelude in G minor.
Together with the Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 3/2 and the 13 Preludes, Op. 32, this set is part of a full suite of 24 preludes in all the major and minor keys.
Op. 23 is composed of ten preludes, ranging from two to five minutes in length. Combined, the pieces take around thirty minutes to perform. They are:
• No. 1 in F♯ minor (Largo)
• No. 2 in B♭ major (Maestoso)
• No. 3 in D minor (Tempo di minuetto)
• No. 4 in D major (Andante cantabile)
• No. 5 in G minor (Alla marcia)
• No. 6 in E♭ major (Andante)
• No. 7 in C minor (Allegro)
• No. 8 in A♭ major (Allegro vivace)
• No. 9 in E♭ minor (Presto)
• No. 10 in G♭ major (Largo)
Rachmaninoff completed Prelude No. 5 in 1901. The remaining preludes were completed after Rachmaninoff's marriage to his cousin Natalia Satina: Nos. 1, 4, and 10 premiered in Moscow on February 10, 1903, and the remaining seven were completed soon thereafter. 1900–1903 were difficult years for Rachmaninoff and his motivation for writing the Preludes was predominantly financial. Rachmaninoff composed the works in the Hotel America, financially dependent on his cousin Alexander Siloti, to whom the Preludes are dedicated.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
10 Preludes Op. 23
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