The Prelude Opus 32, number 12 by Sergei Rachmaninov was composed in 1910. It complements his earlier Prelude in C♯ minor, Op. 3/2, and 10 Preludes, Op. 23, to complete the full set of 24 Preludes in all 24 major and minor keys. The prelude No. 12 in G-sharp minor is one of the most famous.
Rachmaninov was not the first to compose a collection pieces traversing the twenty-four major and minor keys. It was Johann Sebastian Bach who certainly established the precedent and standard by which all other would be judged.
Other composers followed in his footsteps—throughout the 19th century, most notably Frédéric Chopin, Charles-Valentin Alkan, and Alexander Scriabin. Even two centuries after the composition of the two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier (give or take a few decades) they still held sway over composers’ imaginations.
Here is Evgeny Kissin to play the Opus 32 number 12:
