Five Preludes

By Don Bowyer

Five short preludes (1.5 to 2.5 minutes each) that explore various sounds and ideas.

Premiered February 1, 2008.  This recording is by pianist In-Sook Park, from a concert October 17, 2008.

Prelude 1:  Play-lude

The main idea of this prelude uses parallel fourths in the left hand with short, dissonant statements in the right hand. The contrasting second idea has a tonal bass line progression below a chromatic figure. The 3/8 time signature gives the piece a quasi-swing feel.

Prelude 2:  Pray-lude

This prelude alternates between F major and Gb major, with slow reflective melodic statements over sustained roots. The statements gradually become shorter and shorter until the recapitulation.

Prelude 3:  Pre-lewd

This whimsical prelude uses a five-note synthetic scale throughout (1, m3, P4, m6, M7), but the scale modulates in a pattern that suggests a standard 16-measure blues progression. There is a repeating figure in the bass using the same modulating scale.

Prelude 4:  Prelude Solitude

This slow prelude in 7/4 time has an ostinato bass line that never varies. The six notes of the bass line (Eb, E, F, Ab, A, Bb) form a synthetic scale from which the entire piece is derived.

Prelude 5:  Pre-ludicrous

This prelude uses the same six-note synthetic scale throughout (C, Eb, E, G, Ab, B). Harmonic motion is established through a repeated bass line, with chords built from every other note of the scale.