The majority of solo piano music by Sergei Rachmaninoff is comprised of short character pieces, with most belonging to a larger set. In order to examine a wide range of compositional techniques and performance interpretations, the following pieces are studied: 1) the eight tudes-Tableaux, Op. 33, 2) the Morceaux de Fantasie, Op. 3, and 3) selected Preludes from Op. 23 and Op. 32. A comparison of several recordings is discussed, including available recordings by the composer himself. The purpose of this paper is to examine the scores and recordings, to create my own scholarly and artistic performance choices. The performance considerations are discussed and are supported by my accompanying CD recording.