Some years ago I started writing some piano preludes in odd moments between writing other things, partly to play myself, but also for others to play, of around Grade 6-8 standard. They grew into a set of twelve, one in each major key – hardly an original concept, but one which gave me an opportunity to think hard about variety within my self-imposed limit of only two pages per piece! This first set was published in 2017, and I then followed this up with a second set, again written in odd moments, which was published very recently, in February 2020. The second set contains one in each minor key.
In both sets, if played complete, I recommend repeating the first prelude to make a final thirteenth prelude – hence the title Twelve or Thirteen Preludes.
I’ve always liked some kind of limitation in my work, whether it be the necessity for sticking to a five-finger position in a very easy piano piece, the demands of a certain key or mode, a specific motif or shape, or the expectations and skills of a particular group of singers, real or imagined. It releases the mind to concentrate on other parameters of musical invention. In these pieces, the aim for variety of style and texture was an important consideration, without ever (I hope) losing sight of my own musical voice. Some movements suggest the romantic, some the neo-classic, some the minimalist, and it was surprising how the requirement for one piece in each key suggested different moods. In the first set, for example, there is a lively D major, a simple and repetitive F sharp major, a quixotic F major, and a mysteriously floating B major; and in the second set there is a quirky B minor, a dramatic C minor, a romantic E minor, and a poignantly heartfelt G sharp minor, dedicated to the memory of a friend who passed away during its composition.
So, apart from key and variety of mood and character, my two main constraints in writing these pieces were, firstly, that I could manage to play them, and secondly, that they were two pages long. It’s been a real joy to explore a variety of textures and moods within these parameters, and it has rekindled my interest in writing for the piano. You can hear me playing them all on YouTube here:
Twelve or Thirteen Preludes for piano Set One (major keys)
Twelve or Thirteen Preludes for piano Set Two (minor keys)
Further details, and how to buy copies, follow this link.
I’ve also made a version of six of the preludes (some from each set) for clavichord. This has involved a certain amount of rewriting to make them work, and was a really interesting project because it gave me the opportunity to look at the preludes with fresh eyes and ears. This version was first performed by Francis Knights in Fitzwilliam College Chapel on 29 February 2020.
Good to see the clavichord has not been forgotten in this enterprise. It all looks most interesting. Who will be publishing the compositions?
Hi Michael, the piano preludes are available from Spartan Press (www.spartanpress.co.uk) and the clavichord preludes are available from me: if you find the ‘Six Preludes for Clavichord’ page on this website you can download them for free at the moment (take a look at the first page…)
Alan, I have just downloaded and taken a look at the clavichord preludes. They look most intriguing, especially the sixth. I feel very honoured to be included in the dedication. Thank you for thinking of me.
If I can find a clavichord I may try to play them. Meanwhile I’ll send them to my son in law at Hereford who has a versatile electronic instrument which includes several “old” keyboard effects (harpsichord, spinet etc). He is a chorister at the Cathedral and also gives the occasional organ recital there. So who knows where some of your music might get a hearing!
Thank you Michael, and I hope your son-in-law enjoys them too!
I’m sure he will. Incidentally, Francis Knights, to whom you dedicate the pieces, was his Director of Music when he was organ scholar at Somerville College, Oxford and whom he still knows quite well. No doubt they will be in touch. And…..he thinks there is a clavichord hidden away somewhere in the Cathedral! His name by the way is Samuel Bayliss.
Thank you, Michael!