Rachmaninoff Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 (G Minor)

I've been playing Piano for several decades, but with kids and so on over recent years, I've put in way too few hours practice. Now I'm getting back into it, and along the way trying to learn some new music. I've always liked this particular prelude but only in the last week or so obtained the sheet music.

The question I have is around whether it is deemed 'incorrect' to play some of the left hand in the right hand. Although I started learning it as scored, I'm finding I can get much smoother results by somewhat cheating.

Some examples
- The tuples in measure one can be played entirely in the right hand.
- The octave A-BFlat-D progression in measure 2 can be played with right and left together
- The second tuple in measure three can play the top 4 notes entirely in the right hand

Now I realize this can't be done everywhere, and I would hate to learn it incorrectly only to have someone point out that I'm taking the lazy approach. I've tried watching recordings of it, but I can't make out whether the "professionals" play exactly with the hands as scored.

Any advise welcome.

Thanks,
John.

 

I would say that you're likely to make things rather more difficult than easier by taking more notes than necessary into a single hand. BTW, the notes in measure two are already written the way you mentioned (the stems of the upper notes pointing upwards, meaning to be played m.d.)

 

There is no real law concerning which hand takes what, therefore you are not cheating.

I am not clear what you mean by the "tuples" so I can't particularly comment on the efficacy of what you are wanting to do.

IMO, I don't see anything in those three measures that would need a different division of the hands than indicated. You talk about playing more smoothly. Do you mean that you can play it more legato? If that is the case, you don't want that. The octaves are the melody and the chords are the accompaniment and you want to differentiate the texture. Also, each of those melody notes are marked with a staccato dot and a tenuto line indicating detatched non-legato.

The other problem that can occur is if you can not do the regrouping consistently throughout the piece, you will actually make it more difficult to learn.

Scott

 

I don't think this is cheating at all, and it actually is common practice, as I was told by my former Moscow Conservatory trained teacher. Use whatever hand works best for you - as long as you don't hear any of it happening of course. In polyphonic music, taking some note(s) with the other hand if often a bare necessity.

My organ teacher is also in favour of hands helping out each other. He had the amusing metaphor of two workmen, one of whom is digging a hole and the other is standing next to it, watching and smoking a cigarette.

 

I too am struggling with this issue.. whether to play the notes in one hand or perform the task of paying the notes consistently throughout the entire piece. My feeling after trying it both ways is that the latter method sounds better .. especially at higher tempos.