Preludes, Book 2

In 1913, three years after publication of the Préludes I, another collection of twelve Préludes appeared. The pieces are longer and make use of a very wide register, which is why Debussy mainly notated them on three staves. As with the first volume of Préludes the programmatic additions only appeared at the end of each piece. The cycle closes with the virtuosic and brilliant Feux d’artifice, fireworks of pianistic bravura in thetrue sense of the word. The piano writing and title of no. 11, Les tièr ces alternées, already hints at the twelve Études of 1915 (HN 390) with which Debussy was to end his piano œuvre. Edited by Ernst-Günter Heinemann with fingerings by Hans-Martin Theopold and a preface by François Lesure.

Categories: Fundamental Repertoire Piano