This headline should start arguments. In any subject, mentioning a favorite results in arguments in the comment section. People by nature tend to be passionate about their favorites.
I am a huge fan of several composers. I found myself debating with myself over who is my number one piano composer. It was Franz Liszt who got me into classical piano… before I even know of the different eras. He was a composer during the Romantic era.
I bought my piano this past spring and began taking lessons. At the same time, started to expand my collection of favorite pieces. Since I like Liszt, I decided to explore more composers from the Romantic era. I found Sergei Rachmaninoff among several others.
I was blown away the first time I heard Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C# Minor aka Opus 3 Number 2. It immediately became my new favorite piece. I dream of being able to play it someday.
I then discovered a wonderful current-day pianist named Yuja Wang while I was looking for more pieces by Rachmaninoff. I found two videos of Yuja Wang playing Rachmaninoff pieces. Both Prelude in B Minor, Opus 32, Number 10, and Prelude in G Minor, Opus 23, Number 5 are wonderful pieces which invoke emotions.
My love of classical piano grew exponentially and continues to grow each day. I have discovered several more pieces by Rachmaninoff which lead me to state that he is my favorite composer.
I also love Franz Liszt, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy, Johannes Brahms, and Erik Satie. It just seems that Rachmaninoff has the most pieces which resonate deeply with me. I found my style.
As I continue to explore the wonderful world of classical music, I expect to find many more wonderful pieces by all my favorite composers and others.
I will leave you with my current list of favorite pieces by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
| Title | Opus | Number |
| Prelude in C# Minor | 3 | 2 |
| Prelude in B Minor | 32 | 10 |
| Prelude in G Minor | 23 | 5 |
| Piano Concerto No. 2 | 18 | |
| Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor | 30 | |
| Suite No. 1 for 2 Pianos in G Minor | 5 | 2 |
| Prelude in Db | 32 | 13 |
Be sure to visit Steinway & Sons Piano.
https://www.steinway.com/artists/sergei-rachmaninoff
This post now lives on FanClassical, a site for classical music by yours truly.