Claude Debussy – Preludes Piano Book 1 (Urtext Edition)

Claude Debussy – Preludes Piano Book 1 (Urtext Edition)

After several single pieces and several smaller piano cycles, in 1910 the recently composed Preludes, Premier Livre was published. The title draws on a traditional form, following Chopin’s example. In addition Debussy discreetly characterised his Preludes by dispensing with titles but giving the pieces programmatic directions at the end of each Prelude.

This first volume became an immediate success and even today is considered to be the epitome of Debussy’s piano artistry. Late Intermediate to Advanced piano level. 62 pages. Composer:Claude Debussy

The features of the DebussyPreludes Book 1 Henle Urtext editions at a glance:

• a scholarly, critical Urtext edition on the basis of all available sources, always kept up-to-date
• optimisations of the musical score as a result of continuous usage in musical practice
• all important information about musical passages included in footnotes on the same page
• notational settings of unmatched beauty and accuracy thanks to traditional musical hand-engraving
• fingering suggestions by Conrad Hansen
• available in two collected volumes with fingerings, paperbound or clothbound
• available without fingerings, paperbound
• each sonata also available separately

AMEB:

Piano / Certificate of Performance / List D

• Les sons et les parfums tournent dans l’air du soir [The sounds and fragranes swirl through the evening air] No. 4 from Preludes Book 1 L 117

Piano / Grade 7 / List D

• La fille aux cheveux de lin [The Girl with the flaxen hair] No. 8 from Preludes Book 1 L 117

Piano / Grade 8 / List D

• Danseuses de Delphe [Dancers of Delphi] No. 1 from Preludes Book 1 L 117
• Des pas sur la neige [Footsteps in the snow] No. 6 from Preludes Book 1 L 117
• La cathedrale engloutie [The submerged cathedral] No. 10 from Preludes Book 1 L 117
• La serenade interrompue [Interrupted serenade] No. 9 from Preludes Book 1 L 117
• Voiles [Veils/Sails] No. 2 from Preludes Book 1 L 117

Piano for Leisure / Grade 7 / Open Manual list

• La fille aux cheveux de lin No 8 from Preludes Book 1

Claude Debussy was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Claude Debussy’s Preludes are 24 pieces for solo piano, divided into two books of 12 preludes each. Unlike some notable collections of preludes from prior times, such as Chopin’s Op. 28 Preludes or the preludes from Johann Sebastian Bach’s, The Well-Tempered Clavier Debussy’s do not follow a strict pattern of tonal centres.Each book was written in a matter of months, at an unusually fast pace for Debussy. Book I was written between December 1909 and February 1910, and Book II between the last months of 1912 and early April 1913.