The question "what is the prelude" sooner or later ask connoisseurs of classical music. Translated from Latin, "preludo" means "introduction". This ancient genre of music allows the use of various interpretations and original author's solutions.
Bit of history
Answering the question “what is the prelude”, I would like to highlight all the curious facts associated with this term. This musical genre originated in the fifteenth century. Initially, the word prelude meant a small instrumental introduction to a larger work. Often it was improvisational in nature. Not limited to strict canons and rules, the introduction allowed the performer to fully demonstrate his virtuosity. It introduced the listener into the world of ideas, images and moods of the future work. A little later, preludes begin to be written for operas and suites. At the same time, they retain the features of improvisation and characteristic figurative texture. These features can be traced in the preludes of the eighteenth century, which at that time already stand out in an independent genre.
From this time to the present day, these
musical works are embodied in the works of many composers.
I.S. Bach
When illuminating the question of “what are preludes,” one cannot fail to mention JS Bach's work. It was in his writings that a stable cycle consisting of two plays took shape. As a rule, in it the freely developing musical idea of the prelude contrasts sharply with the strict, precise organization of the material in the fugue. A truly encyclopedia of the genre can be considered a collection of Bach's works entitled "The Well-Tempered Clavier." It included forty-eight fugues and preludes, various in content and character: mournful, schertish, concentrated, solemn, dance, etc. Subsequently, some composers begin to add new features to this genre (Shchedrin, Chopin, Shostakovich). The prelude in their work appears as an independent work.
F. Chopin
Revealing the multifaceted expressive capabilities of this instrumental miniature, Chopin, we can say, gave this genre a “rebirth”. That is why, understanding the question "what is the prelude", it is imperative to sanctify the work of this composer. His instrumental works written in this genre are distinguished by the unexpectedness of emotional contrasts, the uniqueness and richness of experiences. Chopin wrote twenty-four preludes.
S.V. Rachmaninov
The works of this composer reflected a wide variety of images, ranging from intimate lyrical to monumental-epic and tragic. Rachmaninov’s preludes are no longer miniatures with their intrinsic chamberness, but rather large-scale concert works in which the artist uses the symphonic principle of development. Another characteristic feature is polymelodism, when accompanying and soloing are presented as independent melodic lines.