Joe Krause Music
Sergei (or Sergey) Rachmaninoff (or Rachmaninov) (1873-1943)
Russian, late Romantic period
Rachmaninoff is a composer known for deeply emotional and difficult music. Much of his music presents serious issues for pianists with small hands—Rachmaninoff himself was an extremely talented performer with larger hands, and his music reflects this. Many pieces features large stretches, blocked 10ths, and chord shapes best described as "gnarly." This has recently resulted in a proliferation of memes.
Image credit: Classical Music Humor on Facebook
Prelude op 3 no 2 in C# minor
This is a piano roll replication from a performance by Rachmaninoff himself! The C#m prelude is one of his most popular pieces. Despite the intense thundering octaves, double sharps, and use of four-staff notation, this piece is relatively accessible to students. According to some accounts, Rachmaninoff grew to resent the piece as audiences repeatedly demanded to hear it at the end of his performances, and it eclipsed many of his other works due to its popularity.
Prelude op 32 no 10 in B minor
Rachmaninoff's favorite prelude (according to one account) as it reminded him of home. Rachmaninoff lived in Russia for most of his early life, moving away temporarily from 1906-10 and then permanently in 1917 to escape Communism. This piece features a deep sense of unshakeable momentum, wistfulness, and inevitability.
Piano Concerto no 3 in D minor