Richibi’s Weblog

     “Portrait of the composer Sergei Rachmaninov“

                   Konstantin Somov

                                ______

though you probably still wouldn’t be able

to tell a prelude from a hole in the wall, 

nor, admittedly, can I, unless indicated,

if you’ve listened to the pieces I’ve

recently presented, you’ve noted, even 

merely sensed, really, that the preludes 

of one composer don’t sound at all like

those of the others, Bach doesn’t sound 

like Chopin, who doesn’t sound at all   

like Debussy, the first step in telling  

your Beethoven from your Bach, as 

promised in my title

you might not even be able to tell which  

is which as you’re listening, but you can

tell they’re different, you do the same 

thing telling your Monet from your 

Renoir

Rachmaninov also wrote, like Chopin, 

and Debussy, 24 preludes, and, like 

Chopin, in every key, major and minor

R ! chard