Book Description
In Chopin's set of 24 interconnected Preludes (Op. 28), we are presented with 24 distinct compositional surfaces, aiming at as many distinguishable emotional expressions. As such, the Preludes stand as a virtual survey of the developing musical manners of the 19th century, the stylistic period in which "mood" was promoted most energetically and frankly. Under separate analytic investigation, the technical means to these expressive ends can be discovered and assessed; yet, at the same time, the Preludes can be studied as a total entity, related by precise balances of mood and key, as well as certain subtler interconnecting details. This book is a detailed guide through the Preludes, both individually and as a group.
