A Prelude for the Main Course
Originally, a prelude was little more than a musical appetiser: a short introduction to what was to follow. But over the centuries, it grew into a substantial genre in its own right. How did that happen, and which composers helped shape its development? This edition of Time Signal explores the history of the prelude, serving up a musical feast along the way.
Playlist
1. Louis Couperin: Prélude non mesuré in D major
Gustav Leonhardt (harpsichord)
2. François Couperin: Prelude No. 5 in A major, from L’Art de toucher le clavecin
Elisabeth Joyé (harpsichord)
3. Johann Sebastian Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Nos. 2 and 7
Sviatoslav Richter (piano)
4. Frédéric Chopin: Préludes, Op. 28, Nos. 20–24
Martha Argerich (piano)
5. Claude Debussy: Préludes, Book I, Nos. 1–5
Jean-Paul Gasparian (piano)
6. Benjamin Britten: Prelude and Fugue for String Orchestra, Op. 29
English Chamber Orchestra; Steuart Bedford (conductor)
7. Sergei Rachmaninoff: Prelude No. 5 from Op. 23
Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano)
8. Duke Ellington: Prelude to a Kiss
Duke Ellington (piano)
