Details
Genre/form term
Preludes (Music)
See also
Art music
Note
Musical compositions that introduce another or larger instrumental work (e.g., a fugue, a suite), or that are relatively short stand-alone pieces that explore particular moods, musical figures, or technical problems. For musical compositions that are intended to introduce a dramatic vocal work or spoken drama, and independent works with the word "overture" in the composer's title, see Overtures.
Found in
Grove music online, viewed July 11, 2014 (prelude; a term of varied application that, in its original usage, indicated a piece that preceded other music whose mode or key it was designed to introduce; was instrumental ... and was improvised; with Bach the prelude reached the pinnacle of its development; the prelude and fugue for keyboard continued into the late 18th century in central and northern Germany; more typical of the Romantic period and its aftermath, however, are the many independent preludes for piano, whose prototype was Chopin's matchless set of 24 Preludes op.28 of 1836-9; although some of his preludes are epigrammatically short, others are so large in scale and so dramatic in content that they would overshadow any alien sequel to which they might be attached; preludes [by later composers] have no prefatory function and are simply collections of short pieces exploring particular moods, musical figures or technical problems)
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