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The Études-Tableaux ("study pictures"), Op. 33 is the first of two sets of piano études composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

These sets were supposed to be "picture pieces", essentially "musical evocations of external visual stimulae". Rachmaninoff did not disclose what inspired each piece, stating, "I don't believe in the artist that discloses too much of his images. Let them paint for themselves what it most suggests."

History

Rachmaninoff composed the Op. 33 Études-Tableaux at the Ivanovka estate between August and September 1911, the year after completing his second set of preludes, Op. 32. While the Op. 33 Études-Tableaux share some stylistic points with the preludes, they are actually very unlike them. Rachmaninoff concentrates in the preludes on establishing well-defined moods and developing musical themes. There is also an academic facet to the preludes, as he wrote 24 of them, one in each of the 24 major and minor keys. Rachmaninoff biographer Max Harrison calls the Études-Tableaux "studies in composition"; while they explore a variety of themes, they "investigate the transformation of rather specific climates of feeling via piano textures and sonorities. They are thus less predictable than the preludes and compositionally mark an advance" in technique.Rachmaninoff initially wrote nine pieces for Op. 33 but published only six in 1914. One étude was subsequently revised and used in the Op. 39 set; the other two appeared posthumously and are now usually played with the other six. Performing these eight études together could be considered to run against the composer's intent, as the six originally published are unified through "melodic-cellular connections" in much the same way as in Robert Schumann's Études Symphoniques.

Structure

The Op. 33 Études-Tableaux were originally meant to comprise nine études when Rachmaninoff wrote them at Ivanovka. The composer decided to publish only six of them in 1911. Numbers three and four were published posthumously and are often inserted among the six études; number four was transferred to Op. 39, where it appears as number six of that set. (As a consequence, many recordings omit it from Op. 33).

• No. 1 in F minor
• No. 2 in C major
• No. 3 in C minor
• No. 4 in D minor
• No. 5 in E-flat minor

This piece began with a 2-bar introduction marked non allegro, then shifted to presto. This piece is very technically difficult, because of the key, and it demands a tireless right hand at an almost impossible speed, with frequent dynamic changes.

• No. ? (6 or 7) in E-flat major

Nicknamed "Scene at the Fair" (as Rachmaninoff himself told Respighi), the piece conjures a playful and vibrant atmosphere, with its blaring fanfare opening thirds, wild alternating chords and bells in the end. The middle section poses a great pianistic problem with huge leaps of the hand that lead to chordal actions, which at points are 10th chords, rendering playing the figures at the correct tempo much more difficult. The piece requires strength, precision, endurance, rhythmic control, and dynamic and tonal balance.

• No. 8 in G minor

A melancholy piece whose sixteenth note accompaniment interweaves between hands. The main difficulty of the piece is facilitating smooth alterations with the hands without affecting the fluency of the melody.

• No. 9 in C-sharp minor

A big, loud piece with prevalent patterns of leaps in the left hand, creating a huge roar. The piece has grand dissonances but also contains a gorgeous romantic interlude.

External links

• Free scores by Op. 33 at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)

• Compositions by Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Piano études
• 1911 compositions
• 1917 compositions