The prelude has a long history. Originating in the 16th century from the improvisatory use of an instrument and the introduction of a key, it reached its apogee in the Baroque period with Bach, Handel or Couperin as a playful form with triads and rapid passages. In the 19th century, the prelude broke new ground as an imaginative instrumental piece. Chopin and Debussy created a variety of forms and character pieces in their preludes, some with programmatic titles or as descriptions of images of nature or figurations. In the 20th century, composers such as Eduard Putz and Nikolai Kapustin also opened up the prelude to stylistic features of jazz. This volume is a 'melodious history' of the prelude and a treasure trove for lessons and for piano lovers who wish to discover something new. Works by Bach, Handel, Couperin, Bertini, Chopin, Heller, Kirchner, Debussy, Satie, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Kapustin, and many more.

24 Solo Piano Couplings of Classics and Carols.Total Performance time 47:00 minutes.. Intermediate - Advanced. Level. See page two for a list of the Carols and their classical coupling. The Mp3 and accompanied sheet music PDF is The Wassail Song with Scarlatti \'s Sonata in D K278. L.S.15

The books in this series present study guides for masterworks, beginning at the early intermediate level, that the editors believe developing pianists should study and perform. Each book contains 20 study guides to pieces selected from the four main style periods. Book 5 contains selections for advanced pianists. Titles: Prelude from English Suite No. 3 in G Minor, BWV 808 (Bach) * Sinfonia from Partita No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 826 (Bach) * Air and Variations (?The Harmonious Blacksmith?) (Handel) * Sonata in E Major, K.380; L.23 (Scarlatti) * Sonata in C Minor (?Pathétique?), Op.13 (Beethoven) * Sonata in C Major, Hob.XVI/50; L.60 (I) (Haydn) * Sonata in C Major, K.330 (I) (Mozart) * Intermezzo in A Major, Op.118, No.2 (Brahms) * Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op.66 (Chopin) * Consolation No. 3 in D-flat Major, S.172 (Liszt) * Prelude in C-sharp Minor, Op.3, No.2 (Rachmaninoff) * Impromptu in A-flat Major, Op.142, No.2, Posth.; D.935 (Schubert) * Aufschwung (Soaring), Op.12, No.2 (Schumann) Sonatina, Sz.55 I. (Bartók) * Ritual Fire Dance (De Falla) * Clair de lune (Debussy) * La fille aux cheveux de lin (The Girl with the Flaxen Hair) (Debussy) * Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin)