Rachmaninoff Now Part of My Daily Rituals

Finally I let the dust settle in my professional life and took some time to record this Rachmaninoff epic. I’ve been wanting to record this for quite some time now given that it’s been the starting piece of my daily practice sessions. I also ended up using my recently purchased Zoom Q3 HD recorder which people recommend is the best live music recorder(especially for audio) and I won’t disagree with that. Even though they claim it has HD video the result isn’t anywhere close to that. I think their version of HD stood for Hardly Definitive. But no real complaints as such since it’s the sound that matters in the end.

Prelude Op.3 No.2 in C# Minor was considered Rachmaninoff’s debut as a pianist and to date remains one of his most famous and finest compositions. Talk about making a first impression. 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!”. The melancholic/haunting feeling this piece embodies is what sets it apart. Terrifying yet peaceful. I may not have done full justice with it but then again this is my initial attempt and I think it more or less passed my own “Litmus” test. Maybe I’ll put a better recording in the future when I have my own grand piano. The sound you get from an electronic piano just doesn’t cut it.

I plan to most more recordings in the future. Stay tuned!