Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943)
Prélude, Op. 23, No. 7 in C minor (1903.) Allegro
Nikolai Lugansky, 2022
From St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Grand Hall
“Some professors are particularly insistent that a student knows the composer's source of inspiration. It's not all uninteresting - it can help a lazy imagination. I am convinced, however, that the student is better off relying on his own understanding of music. Knowing this poem inspired Schubert or that legend inspired Chopin, can’t compensate for the insufficiency of a real piano interpretation. The student must know how to discern the fundamental singularities of musical connections in the work. He must understand what truly gives the work its value, its presence, its power, and its grandeur. He must absolutely be able to identify these elements. Some teachers tend to exaggerate the importance of extraneous exercises and to minimize the real foundation that a musician must acquire. This erroneous point of view leads to bad results.”
Rachmaninoff, "Réflexion et souveniors"