Written over a period of 18 years, Rachmaninov’s sets of Preludes are a mirror and a record of his compositional development. With so rich a variety of character, color, texture, and mood, no two preludes are fully alike, and differentiation of tempo and register ensures that each prelude’s character is clearly defined. The first eleven pieces were conceived by Rachmaninov as a single cycle, and their full-hearted Romanticism contrasts with the significantly more angular, modernistic Op. 32. Whether evoking ballad or bell toll, the exotic or folk influences, the Preludes stand in the great tradition of works by Bach and Chopin written in all 24 major and minor keys.



REVIEW:

Giltburg's sensitivity is abundantly demonstrated here; he’s always careful to avoid climaxes becoming overbearing or, heaven forbid, percussive. The G flat major Prelude that ends Op 23 is a good example of his songfulness, while the fifth of the Op 32 set has a lovely airborne quality, better conveying its flickering delicacy than Lugansky, who is a shade slower. In a similar vein, the eighth Prelude of Op 23 is another highlight.

Giltburg’s preoccupation with clarity of texture means that the tumultuous climax of Op 32 No 8 in A minor never becomes overbearing; he dispatches it with ease. This is followed by a wonderfully rich reading of the A major Prelude, while the siciliano rhythm of No 10 has a solemn tread. The gruff march of No 5 has more potency in the hands of Lugansky, though the inner section is done with great sensitivity, Giltburg revealing the duetting lines quite beautifully.

The driving drama of the C major Prelude that opens Op 32 also has more poetry than in many accounts. The closing Prelude of Op 32 sums up Giltburg’s approach – opening with a quietude that harks back to the early C sharp minor Prelude, while the turmoil that follows is presented with an absolute command of texture and clarity but without the storminess some bring to it, though its closing chords have a glorious richness.

– Gramophone