RACHMANINOV

Morceaux de Fantaisie , composed at the age of 19, is Rachmaninov's earliest published piano cycle. This cycle contains the Prélude in C-sharp minor , which would become his signature work, and the Mélodie in E-flat major , which was greatly beloved by Tchaikovsky. The expressive Morceaux de Salon show Tchaikovsky's influence and some of the sorrow Rachmaninov felt after the death of his mentor. With the addition of the melodically rich Nocturnes and the Four Pieces , the earliest surviving works from his hand, this collection shows both the young composer who found his own voice and the timeless Rachmaninov we know today.