Rachmaninoff Prelude in G minor, Opus 25, no. 3

This famous prelude in Alla marcia tempo is a showpiece of Russian nationalism to inspire and evoke a sense of pride of the Russian army.

It is composed in ternary form where the B section introduces a slower, flowing melodic section in strict contrast to the first and last sections. Emil Gilels, regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the last century gave a commanding performance where all the beautiful  sub-melodies are distinctively brought to life  in the middle section.

Technically, this piece is not the most difficult of Rachmaninoff’s preludes but it does require strong wrists and unison playing of the octaves in strict march-like tempo.