Rachmaninoff Six moments musicaux

Six moments musicaux, Op. 16, is a set of solo-piano pieces composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between October and December of 1896. According to pianist Elizabeth Wolff:

"They are typical of his early works, dense, rich in counterpoint, highly chromatic, poignantly nationalistic, deeply felt, and of course, exceptionally challenging to the pianist."

Andantino, the first piece, is a hybrid combining elements of the nocturne and the theme and variations.

Allegretto, the second piece, provides interesting contrast to the lyrical and "atmospheric" melody of the first piece. Andante cantabile, the third, may be the "most Russian" piece of the set, containing both sonorous bass and a solid melody. Presto, the fourth, draws inspiration from several sources, including the Preludes of Frédéric Chopin, to synthesize an explosion of melodic intensity. The fifth, Adagio sostenuto, is similar in form to a barcarolle, a folk song with a rhythmic accompaniment. Maestoso, the last piece, is described in an excerpt from "Rachmaninoff's Six moments musicaux, Op. 16, and the Tradition of the Nineteenth-Century Miniature", the 1992 dissertation of Robin Hancock at Boston University: 

"The final piece ... is virtuostic and brilliant, employing the entire range of dynamics and sonorities available to the piano, bringing a set of pieces to a glorious conclusion."