Prelude in G minor Op. 23 No. 5 MIDI & Sheet Music
Sergei Rachmaninoff · 1901
This prelude belongs to the 10 Preludes Op. 23, which Rachmaninoff composed between 1901 and 1903. No. 5, in G minor, is marked Alla marcia: in the manner of a march. From the first bars, the firm left-hand rhythm and the right-hand chords advance like a troop in step.
⏱3:46♪3858 notes🎚Advanced🎼G minor♩108 per quarter🎹D1 → A#6🦶pedal marks
In the middle the march gives way to a singing melody that breathes wide before the rhythm returns. This 3858-note MIDI lasts 3:47 and averages 17 notes a second: easy to listen to, not easy to play. It's one of the densest pieces in our library, meant for hands that are already solid, after a classic like the Minute Waltz.
The contrast between the march and the melody in the middle
Stamina: three minutes of keeping the same drive
The tricky passages
Bar 23 : the busiest bar, with 116 notes across both hands
Bar 35 : 24 notes in a row in the left hand, at about 5.6 notes per second
Bar 41 : a leap of 31 semitones (over two octaves) in the left hand, in under half a second
Bar 43 : the left hand stretches over 29 semitones (chord to roll)
Playing the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 on piano with Pianovera
In Pianovera, work on the march at 60% speed, left hand alone, with the metronome: the accent has to land in the same place every time. Practice the middle melody apart, in a loop, before going back to the march.
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About this piece
How long is the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5?
The MIDI file lasts 3:46: 86 bars in 4/4, 3858 notes, at 108 bpm (quarter notes). Slowed to 60%, it lasts 6:17.
What level do you need to play the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5?
We rate it advanced in G minor, with sustain pedal marks. The left hand stretches up to 29 semitones (chord to roll) and the right hand up to 14 semitones, across 68 semitones of keyboard (D1 to A#6), at 17 notes per second on average. The first thing to work on: the march rhythm, firm but never hammered.
What is the hardest passage in the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5?
It is bar 35: 24 notes in a row in the left hand, at about 5.6 notes per second.
What tempo should a beginner practice the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 at?
Aim for 65 bpm (quarter notes), which is 60% of the file's tempo (108).
Is there sheet music for the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 with fingering?
Yes: 2556 fingerings, 86 bars, shown in full above and as a free printable PDF.
Download the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 MIDI and sheet music
The the G minor Prelude Op. 23 No. 5 MIDI file (71 KB) is the one this page plays. Our score, fingering and this MIDI are redone from the Mutopia Project edition by Joram Berger: CC BY-SA 4.0 license (share-alike), free to use, commercial use included, as long as this credit is kept PDF.
