Prélude in c sharp minor op.3 n°2 (transcr. by Vierne)

Rachmaninov composed this prelude when he was 19 years old. It became quickly his most famous composition and he was required to play it as an encore at the end of almost each of his piano concerts.

This prelude excited much the commentators' imagination ; although there is no known program behind the music, they imagined such things as ghost's frightening stories or even the funeral procession of a buried alive man :-)

It has the great advantage to be playable (not so usual among Rachmaninov's piano music) and Vierne made an imho superb transcription work. It has no interest, but I spent hours and hours playing it (or rather trying to do so) on the piano when adolescent ; so, it was a great and sweet pleasure to get acquainted back with this music.