For Rachmaninoff, music was far more than just a source of inspiration for virtuoso piano playing, as Horowitz, for example, understood it. For him, music was a way of life and served as a means of expressing personal experiences and feelings. The piano formed an integral part of his own world. In an interview with The Étude in December 1941, Rachmaninoff explained that his urge to compose stemmed from the need to translate thoughts into sound. He rejected pre-existing patterns or conventional styles and considered music an authentic expression of his personality and his experiences.
In 1892, the Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, premiered in Kharkiv, when Rachmaninoff was only 19 years old. The Prelude in C-sharp minor from this cycle achieved great popularity and sometimes overshadowed his other works. Rachmaninoff's preludes are characterized by a remarkable range of keys and expressive forms. Some of these pieces were inspired by paintings or poems.
The Études-tableaux, Op. 33 and 39, were composed in 1911 and 1916-17, respectively. Each of these études possesses its own program or hidden meaning, which Rachmaninoff consciously kept in the background. His music was increasingly perceived as more focused and profound over time, as he drew more inspiration from external influences such as literature and painting.