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CD
Light in dark : works for solo piano / Tom Henry, Jennifer Enchelmaier
Library shelf no. CD 3285 [Available for loan]
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Work Overview
The prelude for keyboard has a rich tradition in Western music, the most famous being the 48 Preludes and Fugues of J.S. Bach. While Bach's Preludes set the mood for the fugues that follow, Chopin's Preludes (and later, Scriabin's) are an end in themselves; they simply flow, one after another. These three pieces are in this later tradition.
Some time after writing these preludes, I came across the following passage from the ancient Chinese book, The Tao de Ching, by Lao Tzu. It seems to sum up the first, Like an omen:
"Heaven and earth are not benevolent.
To them men are like straw dogs destined for sacrifice."
(Richard Wilhelm edition, trans. H.G. Ostwald. Arkan/Penguin Books, 1989)
The second of my preludes is a short brooding rhapsody. The third comes from Bach, both the composer and (in German) the running stream.
Work Details
Year: 2005
Instrumentation: Piano.
Duration: 6 min.
Difficulty: Medium — As a set, about AMEB Grade 7 or 8. Individually: 1 = 7th grade, 2 = 7th grade, 3 = 5th grade
Contents note: I. Like an omen -- II. Sensual and languid -- III. Calm and flowing.
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