The Morceaux de fantaisie op. 3 are a collection of five solo pieces for piano composed by Sergei Rachmaninov in 1892. He dedicated them to Anton Arensky, his teacher at the Moscow Conservatory, who was known for his concise lyrical miniatures.

The early work clearly reveals his personal style in its tonal language and original piano writing - a characteristically melancholy tonal language with dramatic accents and dynamic intensifications as well as a skilful use of the piano's technical possibilities. The melancholy Elegy, but above all the famous C sharp minor Prelude, are part of the standard repertoire of many pianists.

Elegy

The meditative Elegy in E flat minor (Moderato, 4/4), reminiscent of a nocturne by Chopin, surprises with an eighth-note accompaniment figure that stretches from a low contra E flat to B flat' and opens up a gloomy, melancholy sound space into which the simple melody enters and slowly descends. In the middle section (Piu vivo), Rachmaninov reverses the relationship between the movements: The right hand plays a nervous accompaniment figure, the left a simple melody, until there are alternations of functions and a radiant crescendo episode that leads into A major. In the recapitulation, the melody is reinforced by a sixth.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morceaux_de_fantaisie