Six moments musicaux (Six Musical Moments, Шесть Музыкальных Моментов), Op. 16, is a set of piano pieces composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between October and December, 1896, with each work reproducing musical forms characteristic of previous times. The forms that appear in Rachmaninoff's incarnation are the nocturne, song without words, barcarolle, virtuoso étude, and theme and variations. The individual pieces have been described as 'true concert works, being best served on a stage and with a concert grand.' Although composed as part of a set, each piece stands on its own as a concert solo with individual themes and moods. The pieces span a variety of themes ranging from the somber funeral march of number three to the majestic canon of number six. Although he usually premiered his own work, there is no record of him playing this set, and the date of the first performance remains unknown. A typical performance lasts 30 minutes.
