Prelude in C-sharp minor (Rachmaninoff)
A famous prelude that became both a triumph and a burden.
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2, is his best-known piece. It belongs to a five-part set called *Morceaux de fantaisie*, runs 62 bars, and follows an ABA (ternary) structure. Its opening evokes the Kremlin’s most solemn chimes, earning it the nickname *The Bells of Moscow*.
Rachmaninoff premiered the work himself on 26 September 1892 at the Moscow Electrical Exhibition. A review of that concert noted the piece “aroused enthusiasm,” and its popularity grew from there. He later added 23 more preludes to complete a full set of 24 covering all major and minor keys, following a tradition used by Bach, Chopin, Alkan, Scriabin, and others.
The composer was 19 and had just graduated from the Moscow Conservatory on 29 May 1892, becoming a “Free Artist.” He performed the prelude for the first time at the Electrical Exhibition concert. It was published the next year as the second of the five *Morceaux de fantaisie* (Op. 3), all dedicated to his harmony teacher Anton Arensky. Because Russia was not part of the 1886 Berne Convention, publishers paid no royalties; Rachmaninoff received only a flat fee of 40 rubles—roughly two months’ wages for a factory worker at the time.
The piece has three main sections plus a coda. It begins with a three-note motif at *fortissimo* that establishes the C-sharp minor key, and this cadential motif repeats throughout. By the third bar, the volume drops to *piano pianissimo* for the theme’s exposition. The second section is marked *Agitato* and features highly chromatic triplets, building into interlocking chordal triplets that descend to a climactic return of the main theme—now written on four staves to fit the density of notes. Some chords in this section are marked with quadruple *sforzando*. The piece ends with a quiet seven-bar coda.
The prelude became one of Rachmaninoff’s most famous works. His cousin Alexander Siloti helped spread its success in the West: in autumn 1898, Siloti toured Western Europe and the United States with the prelude in his program. London publishers soon issued editions with titles like *The Burning of Moscow*, *The Day of Judgement*, and *The Moscow Waltz*; American publishers followed with *The Bells of Moscow*. The piece grew so popular that audiences would shout “C-sharp!” at Rachmaninoff’s concerts, demanding it as an encore. He grew tired of it, once saying, “Many, many times I wish I had never written it,” and called it his “Frankenstein.”
Rachmaninoff recorded the prelude electrically, on Welte-Mignon reproducing pianos, and on Ampico piano rolls. It has been arranged for orchestra in several versions, used in many films, and sampled in many songs. Several jazz adaptations exist, including one for Paul Whiteman that Rachmaninoff admired. In 1942, he told Walt Disney that Mickey Mouse’s performance of the prelude in the 1929 short *The Opry House* stirred him more than any other—even though he had heard it played marvelously by top pianists and murdered by amateurs.
- Composer
- Sergei Rachmaninoff
- Opus
- Op. 3, No. 2
- Key
- C♯ minor
- Form
- Ternary (ABA)
- Occasion
- Moscow Electrical Exhibition
- Dedicated to
- Anton Arensky
Lore & Background
The prelude is structured in three main sections with a brief coda, totaling 62 bars in ternary (ABA) form. It opens with a forceful three-note motif that establishes the C minor tonality, which then shifts to an extremely soft dynamic for the presentation of the main theme. The middle section is agitated and driven, featuring highly chromatic triplets that build into dense, interlocking chordal passages, some chords marked with quadruple sforzando, leading to a climactic return of the main theme notated on four staves. The piece concludes with a quiet seven-bar coda. The introduction is said to evoke the solemn carillon chimes of the Kremlin, giving the work its nickname, "The Bells of Moscow." Composed when Rachmaninoff was 19, just after graduating from the Moscow Conservatory, it was first performed by the composer at the Moscow Electrical Exhibition in 1892 and published the following year as the second of five *Morceaux de fantaisie*, dedicated to his harmony teacher Anton Arensky. The prelude’s popularity grew rapidly, especially after the composer’s cousin Alexander Siloti included it in a tour of Western Europe and the United States in 1898. London and American publishers issued editions with various titles, and audiences would demand it as an encore, shouting "C-sharp!" Rachmaninoff grew to resent its fame, calling it his "Frankenstein." He made recordings of the piece on Welte-Mignon and Ampico reproducing pianos. The prelude has been arranged for orchestra, used in films, sampled in songs, and adapted for jazz, including a version for Paul Whiteman that Rachmaninoff admired. He also praised Mickey Mouse’s performance of it in the 1929 short *The Opry House*.
Reader's Guide
The prelude was one of the first works the nineteen-year-old Rachmaninoff composed after graduating from the Moscow Conservatory as a "Free Artist." He premiered it himself at a concert during the Moscow Electrical Exhibition in late September 1892, and a review noted that the piece had "aroused enthusiasm." It was published the following year as the second of five *Morceaux de fantaisie*, all dedicated to his harmony teacher. Because Russia was not part of the Berne Convention at the time, the composer received no royalties, only a one-time publishing fee of forty rubles. The piece is in ternary form and is sixty-two bars long. Its famous opening, a three-note fortissimo motif, establishes the C-sharp minor key. The middle section is marked *Agitato* and features highly chromatic triplets, building to a climactic return of the main theme notated on four staves. A quiet seven-bar coda concludes the work. The prelude became immensely popular, often called simply "The Prelude," with audiences shouting "C-sharp!" for encores. Rachmaninoff grew to resent it, calling it his "Frankenstein." It was known as *The Bells of Moscow* because its introduction evokes Kremlin carillons. The composer’s cousin Alexander Siloti helped spread its fame through tours of Western Europe and the United States. Rachmaninoff recorded it on piano rolls and electrically. The piece has been orchestrated, used in films, sampled in songs, and adapted in jazz; Rachmaninoff admired one jazz arrangement for Paul Whiteman. He also told Walt Disney he was stirred by Mickey Mouse’s performance of the prelude in a 1929 animated short.
Did You Know?
- The prelude is also known as The Bells of Moscow, since the introduction seems to reproduce the Kremlin's most solemn carillon chimes.
- Rachmaninoff received only 40 rubles for the piece, about two months' wages for a contemporary factory worker.
- Audiences would demand the prelude as an encore by shouting 'C-sharp!'
- Rachmaninoff called the prelude his 'Frankenstein,' alluding to a creation that got out of control.
More in Classical Music Compositions 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record