Five Preludes
Program Notes
I confess that solo piano repertoire, as well as the concept of prelude music are both a bit foreign to me. On my best days I am a mediocre pianist, and as a classical composer I have been an avid listener of the famous preludes by Bach, Chopin, Debussy, etc. but have never given them significant study. When I was approached by Holly Roadfeldt to write a collection of preludes for her I was intimidated thinking what my contribution to the medium would be. After much struggling I realized I would not be adding to the epic repertoire of 19th and 20th century preludes but instead revisit the idea of opening statements to something much larger; however I do not provide the something larger. With this strategy in mind I reinterpreted the master preludes of the past with one original contribution. The five preludes are as follows:
I. Bach, Prelude in F minor, WTC Book II
II. Chopin, Preludes, Op. 28, Prelude No. 15, “raindrop”
III. My Own work
IV. Rachmaninov, Prelude No. I, Op. 32
V. Debussy, La Fille aux cheveux de lin
The final product is five playful and sometimes delicate preludes, that serve as short character works and can offer some relief or prepare you for the giants so often found at piano recitals.