Based on the Prélude in c sharp minor Op. 3 No. 2 written in 1892 that quickly became world-famous, Rachmaninoff composed a further two collections of Préludes in the years up to 1910. These were also published as a complete volume in 1911.
Based on the corresponding models by Chopin, Scriabin and their great forerunner J.S. Bach they comprise a cycle of 24 Préludes in all major and minor keys, but unlike the other ones are not organized systematically according to keys. A final highlight of late Romantic piano music, which no pianist can ignore!
G. Henle Publishers stands for Urtext sheet music of the highest quality. The Urtext editions not only provide the undistorted and authoritative musical text but are also aesthetically pleasing, optimised for practical use and extremely durable. And then there is the strong, distinctive blue profile: (almost) all of the Urtext editions are bound in the characteristic blue cardboard.
Musicians trust Henle's blue Urtext editions because they:
- provide an undistorted, reliable and authoritative musical text
- offer superb, aesthetically appealing music engraving
- are optimised for practical use (page turns, fingerings)
- are of high quality and durable (cover, paper, binding)
- contain a short preface that introduces the work (particularly useful for AMEB exams) in German, English and French, as well as explanatory footnotes for particularly interesting passages in the score
- contain a description of the sources, an evaluation of the sources, readings and a documentation of the corrections made (= "Critical Report") in German and English, and often also in French
