Étude-Tabelau op. 39 Nr. 5

Between 1914 and 1917, Sergei Rachmaninoff published two volumes of Études-Tableaux – a term coined by the composer with which he succeeded in expressing the blend of technical studies with programmatic character pieces. As with the concert etudes of Chopin or Liszt, they represent a technical and interpretational touchstone for every pianist. One of the best-known pieces amongst them is the Étude-Tableau in e flat minor with its dark towering chords and a weaving elegiac melody, such as only Rachmaninoff could write – so it is hardly surprising that none other than Vladimir Horowitz regularly performed the work in his concerts and recorded it several times.