Changes

The prelude composed and designed specifically to be attached to another piece of music – normally a [[suite]] of dances or a fugue - developed in the 17th century and reached a peak in the first half of the 18th with the 48 Preludes and Fugues of the ''[[Well-Tempered Clavier]]'' by [[J. S. Bach]]. The prelude and fugue for organ or piano has continued as a well-respected form with notable examples by [[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn]] (piano),  [[Brahms]], Max Reger and [[Camille Saint-Saens]] (organ) and [[Shostakovich]] whose ''24 Preludes and Fugues Opus 87'' is a central (but sadly rarely-performed) work in the 20th-century piano repertoire.

The prelude composed and designed specifically to be attached to another piece of music – normally a [[suite]] of dances or a fugue - developed in the 17th century and reached a peak in the first half of the 18th with the 48 Preludes and Fugues of the ''[[Well-Tempered Clavier]]'' by [[J. S. Bach]]. The prelude and fugue for organ or piano has continued as a well-respected form with notable examples by [[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn]] (piano),  [[Brahms]], Max Reger and [[Camille Saint-Saens]] (organ) and [[Shostakovich]] whose ''24 Preludes and Fugues Opus 87'' is a central (but sadly rarely-performed) work in the 20th-century piano repertoire.

[[Chopin]], following an example set by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, disconnected the form from a companion piece; writing 24 preludes for piano, each a stand-alone composition although inviting the listener to believe that something was to follow. (The perfect miniature form of each denies that premise, and each is beautifully complete within itself. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rnRwqkwKtU]]) This form has been repeated successfully by [[Alexander Scriabin]], [[Gabriel Faure|Faure]], [[Rachmaninov]], and especially [[Claude Debussy]] who, as well as his atmospheric individually named preludes for piano in 2 books (and which contain one of the most popular piano pieces ever written [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxnm-EtriX0]]), composed the tone picture “''Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune''” [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5A4CkUAazI]]  for flute and orchestra (which in itself has been considered a prelude to 20th century music.)

[[Chopin]], following an example set by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, disconnected the form from a companion piece; writing 24 preludes for piano, each a stand-alone composition although inviting the listener to believe that something was to follow. (The perfect miniature form of each denies that premise, and each is beautifully complete within itself. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rnRwqkwKtU]) This form has been repeated successfully by [[Alexander Scriabin]], [[Gabriel Faure|Faure]], [[Rachmaninov]], and especially [[Claude Debussy]] who, as well as his atmospheric individually named preludes for piano in 2 books (and which contain one of the most popular piano pieces ever written [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxnm-EtriX0]), composed the tone picture “''Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune''” [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5A4CkUAazI]  for flute and orchestra (which in itself has been considered a prelude to 20th century music.)

The prelude as a preliminary or introductory piece has continued of course, with the form replacing the [[overture]] in certain [[opera]]s - or acts within operas such as some of [[Wagner]]’s; or [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]'s "''La Traviata''" [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ojZCaYeLI]] and is often the opening movement in suites and other multi-movement works.

The prelude as a preliminary or introductory piece has continued of course, with the form replacing the [[overture]] in certain [[opera]]s - or acts within operas such as some of [[Wagner]]’s; or [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]'s "''La Traviata''" [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ojZCaYeLI] and is often the opening movement in suites and other multi-movement works.

[[Category: musical forms]]

[[Category:Musical forms]]