[[ ImageFile:Prelude 3 2 Rach.png|thumb |300px|The massive theme occupies four staves in the second A section.]] ▼Il '''preludio in C diesis minore''' ({{lang|ru|Прелюдия}}), [[Opus (musica)|Op.]] 3, No. 2, è una delle più famose composizioni di [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]]. È un [[preludio]] in [[forma tripartita]] (ABA) in [[C diesis minore]], lungo 62 [[Misura (musica)|battute]] e una parte di 5 pezzi è intitolata ''[[Morceaux de Fantaisie]]''.<ref name="score">Spartito. Scaricabile nei [[#Collegamenti esterni|collegamenti esterni]].</ref>
ItsIl firstbrano performancevenne waseseguito byper thela composerprima onvolta Septemberdall'autore 20th,avvenne il [[20 settembre]] [[1892 ]]<ref name=talk>[http://www.talkclassical.com/2507-sergei-rachmaninoff.html Talk Classical]</ref> , atad aun festival called thechiamato Moscow Electrical Exhibition<ref name="z">{{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Max |title=Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings |year=2006 |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] |___location=[[ LondonLondra]] |isbn=0-8264-9312-2 |pages=72–73}}</ref>, whichche Rachmaninoff consideredconsidera hisil debutsuo asdebutto acome pianist.pianista<ref name=talk/> . AfterDopo thisquesta première, auna reviewrecensione of thedel concertconcerto singled out the Prelude, noting that it had “aroused enthusiasm”.<ref name="life">{{cite book |last=Bertensson |first=Sergei |authorlink= |coauthors=Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina|title=Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music |year=2001 |publisher=Indiana University Press |___location=Indiana |isbn=0253214211|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KM-dgfOaIIkC }}</ref> FromDa thisquel point on,momento itsla popularitysua wouldpopolarità growcrebbe. ▼
▲[[Image:Prelude 3 2 Rach.png|thumb|300px|The massive theme occupies four staves in the second A section.]]
'''Prelude in C sharp minor''' ({{lang-ru|Прелюдия}}), [[Opus number|Op.]] 3, No. 2, is one of [[Sergei Rachmaninoff]]'s most famous compositions. It is a [[ternary form|ternary]] (ABA) [[Prelude (music)|prelude]] in [[C-sharp minor|C sharp minor]], 62 [[Bar (music)|measure]]s long, and part of a set of five pieces entitled ''[[Morceaux de Fantaisie]]''.<ref name="score">Score. Available for download at any of the External Links (see below).</ref>
▲Its first performance was by the composer on September 20th, 1892<ref name=talk>[http://www.talkclassical.com/2507-sergei-rachmaninoff.html Talk Classical]</ref>, at a festival called the Moscow Electrical Exhibition<ref name="z">{{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Max |title=Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings |year=2006 |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group|Continuum]] |___location=[[London]] |isbn=0-8264-9312-2 |pages=72–73}}</ref>, which Rachmaninoff considered his debut as a pianist.<ref name=talk/> After this première, a review of the concert singled out the Prelude, noting that it had “aroused enthusiasm”.<ref name="life">{{cite book |last=Bertensson |first=Sergei |authorlink= |coauthors=Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina|title=Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music |year=2001 |publisher=Indiana University Press |___location=Indiana |isbn=0253214211|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=KM-dgfOaIIkC }}</ref> From this point on, its popularity would grow.
== Background ==
This work was one of the first the 19‑year‑old Rachmaninoff composed as a "Free Artist", after he graduated from the [[MoscowConservatorio Conservatorydi Mosca]] onil [[29 Maymaggio]] [[1892]]. He performed this new work for the first time at one of the concerts of the Moscow Electrical Exhibition on 8/20 October 1892. It was printed the following year as the second of five ''[[Morceaux de Fantaisie]]'' (Op. 3), all dedicated to [[Anton Arensky]], his [[harmonyarmonia]] teacher at the Conservatory. Because at the time Russia was not party to the 1886 [[BerneConvenzione Conventiondi for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works|Berne ConventionBerna]], Russian publishers did not pay royalties, so the only financial return he ever received for this piece was a 40 [[Russian rubleRuble|ruble]] (about two months' wage of a factory worker) publishing fee.<ref name="z" />
== CompositionComposizione ==
TheIl preludepreludio isè organizedorganizzato intoin threetre maingrandi partsparti anded auna [[coda (musicmusica)|coda]]:
* ThreeTre openingaccordi chordsche ataprono ''[[Dynamicsil (music)#Relativebrano loudness|in ''fortissimo]]'' introduceintroducono thela grimtonalità del C sharpdiesis minorminore tonalityche thatdomina dominatesil the piecebrano. TheIl cadentialmotivo motifcadenziale repeatssi throughoutripete lungo il preludio. InNella theterza third measurebattuta, theil volume changescambia to ain ''[[Dynamics (music)#Relative loudness|pianissimissimo]]'' forper thel'esposizione expositiondel of the themetema.
* TheLa secondseconda partparte isè propulsivepropulsiva ande markedmarcata dall'''[[wiktionary:agitato|Agitato]]'' (agitated), beginninginiziando withcon highlydelle chromatictriplette tripletsaltamente cromatiche. This passionately builds to interlocking chordal triplets that descend into a climactic recapitulation of the main theme, this time in four staves to accommodate the volume of notes. Certain chords in the section are marked with quadruple ''[[Dynamics (music)#Sudden changes|sforzando]]''.
* The piece closes with a brief seven-measure coda which ends quietly.
== Reception ==
The prelude became one of Rachmaninoff's most famous compositions. His cousin [[Alexander Siloti]] was instrumental in securing the Prelude's success throughout the Western world. In the autumn of 1898, he made a tour of [[WesternEuropa Europeoccidentale]] and the [[UnitedStati StatesUniti d'America|Stati Uniti]], with a program that contained the Prelude. Soon after, [[LondonLondra]] publishers brought out several editions with titles such as ''The Burning of Moscow'', ''The Day of Judgement'', and''The Moscow Waltz''. America followed suit with other titles, such as ''The Bells of Moscow''.<ref name="z" /> It was so popular that it was referred to as "The Prelude" and audiences would demand it as an encore at his performances, shouting ''"C sharp!"'' Some{{Whocn|date=January 2010Some}} say Rachmaninoff came to hate the work for this reason. Most, however, agree he would simply shrug in resignation and play it.
Rachmaninoff recorded the piece both electrically and on Ampico [[piano roll]]s.
==Popular cultureNote ==
<references />
* The prelude formed the basis for [[George L. Cobb]]'s ''Russian Rag''.
* In 1970 the Dutch rock/jazz band Ekseption recorded a song called "On Sunday They Will Kill The World" which is based on the C sharp minor Prelude. The song was then covered by gothic/doom metal band Draconian.
* The French black metal band, Anorexia Nervosa, included a recording of the C sharp Prelude (which they entitled 'Hail Tyranny') on their 2001 album, New Obscurantis Order.
* The movie ''[[Weekend at Bernie's]]'' used a (broken) playback of it, via [[stereo system]] for the incidental, [[soundtrack]] music.
* Shown in season 4 of [[Lost (TV series)|Lost]], when Ben is playing his piano in "The Shape Of Things To Come".
* The prelude is an important element of the plot of [[Ngaio Marsh]]'s [[Roderick Alleyn]] novel ''[[Overture to Death]]'', written in 1939
* In the movie ''[[The Exorcism of Emily Rose]]'', Emily plays the opening of the Prelude.
* The [[Blackalicious]] song "The Rise and Fall of Elliot Brown" incorporates this prelude throughout the song.
* In the [[Marx Brothers]] film ''[[A Day at the Races (film)|A Day at the Races]]'', [[Harpo]] plays the prelude and in doing so, destroys a piano. He retrieves from the wreckage the piano strings, which he then uses as a harp.
* [[Mao Asada]] skated to this piece during her long program at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
* On [[Mingus at the Bohemia]], [[Charles Mingus]] recorded "All The Things You C#", a blend of [[All The Things You Are]] and the Prelude.
* In the kid's television show [[Arthur (TV series)|Arthur]], the main character Arthur bluffed to his music teacher that he could play the Rachmaninoff Prelude in C Sharp Minor blindfolded. When asked to perform the Prelude, he told the teacher he couldn't without a blindfold.
== Recording ==
{{multi-listen start}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Sergei Rachmaninoff performs Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3.ogg|title=Prelude in C sharp minor, Op. 3, No. 2|description=Played by Rachmaninoff himself for Edison Records in 1919|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
== Collegamenti esterni ==
* {{IMSLP2|id=Morceaux de Fantaisies, Op.3 (Rachmaninoff, Sergei)|cname=Prelude in C sharp minor}}
* [http://www.free-scores.com/download-sheet-music.php?pdf=9130 FreeSpartito sheetscaricabile music downloadonline]
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{{Rachmaninoff solo piano}}
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