Work

Programme Note

It is impossible not to feel inspired when playing some of Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues, Chopin’s 24 Preludes, Debussy’s two books of preludes, or Shostakovich’s 24 Preludes and Fugues. As a composer I wanted to make a small mark of respect to these greats with some dedications. I have also taken a cue from Bach and Shostakovich and included contrapuntal forms within these preludes. While not wanting to restrict myself to the form of a fugue, there are several preludes which are close in spirit to fugues: Nos.17 and 19 for instance, are what I would call my ‘prelugues’. There is also a passacaglia (No.16) which owes a debt to Shostakovich. I have conceived these pieces as a unified whole. Within them I have attempted to cover a whole variety of characters and moods, from the improvisational and experimental to the lyrical and gentle, from the wild and gestural to the calm and peaceful, from the quirky and ‘black’ to the light and sunny, from the depressive to the resolved. The extensive technical planning and preparation behind these pieces has been fun for me as the composer, but in the end it is the sound and musical expression that matters. I would like to think this voyage of discovery has led to something new and interesting to listen to.

Commissioned:

The 24 preludes for piano were composed with the assistance of a grant from Creative NZ

Difficulty:

Advanced

Funders:

• Creative New Zealand

Performance History

	30 Jun 2009	Performed by Sharon Joy Vogan and the recording was broadcast on ‘Light on New Zealand Composers’ by Eva Light at 3mbs Melbourne, Australia selected preludes
	13 Nov 2010	Performed by John Buskirk at Marama Hall, University of Otago, Dunedin Ten out of the twenty-four preludes only
	03 May 2012	Performed by William Green as part of the Auckland Public Library Thursday Lunchtime Concert Series. Nos 12 & 24
		William Green