Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto
Popularly known for being among the most challenging piano pieces ever written, this is a hauntingly powerful example of early twentieth century Russian Piano. This is a performance that I liked by Wen-Yu Shen from the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in 2003. Skip to Part 4 to see why it is considered so technically difficult.
Rachmaninoff's Preludes
Beside being a master of the piano concerto, Rachmaninoff wrote 23 preludes that are some of the most well-known Russian piano music. Some of his most famous are Prelude in C Sharp Minor (Op. 3, No. 2) and Prelude in G Minor (Op. 23, No. 5). My personal favorite is Prelude in B flat Minor (Op. 23, No. 2).
Prelude in C Minor
Sometimes called The Prelude, this is a more introspective piece by Rachmaninoff. Therefore it seems appropriate to listen to the composer's own performance:
Prelude in B flat Major
This performance is by Evgeny Kissin, one of the greatest pianists in the world. It's a poor recording, but a good performance:
Prelude in G Minor
A performance by the great Soviet era pianist Emil Gilels. His emphasis is on the power and complexity of the piece: