Composer

:

Sheila Silver

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Prelude

Compose Date

:

1991

Average_duration

:

21:25

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

Sheila Silver's 'Preludes (6) for piano D'après poèmes de Baudelaire' is a collection of six preludes for solo piano, inspired by the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. The work was composed in 2006 and premiered on March 4, 2007, by pianist Ursula Oppens at the University of Maryland. Each prelude is based on a different poem by Baudelaire, and the titles of the preludes reflect the titles of the poems. The six poems are "L'Albatros," "Le Léthé," "La Beauté," "Le Cygne," "Le Chat," and "La Mort des amants." The preludes are not programmatic, but rather evoke the mood and atmosphere of the poems. The first prelude, "L'Albatros," is marked "majestic and soaring," and features sweeping arpeggios and grand gestures that evoke the image of the majestic bird. The second prelude, "Le Léthé," is marked "dreamy and ethereal," and features delicate, shimmering textures that suggest the river of forgetfulness. The third prelude, "La Beauté," is marked "sensuous and seductive," and features lush harmonies and sensuous melodies that evoke the beauty of the poem's subject. The fourth prelude, "Le Cygne," is marked "graceful and serene," and features flowing, lyrical lines that suggest the graceful movements of the swan. The fifth prelude, "Le Chat," is marked "playful and mischievous," and features quirky rhythms and playful melodies that suggest the feline nature of the poem's subject. The final prelude, "La Mort des amants," is marked "tragic and mournful," and features somber, mournful harmonies and melodies that suggest the sadness and loss of the poem's subject. Overall, Silver's 'Preludes (6) for piano D'après poèmes de Baudelaire' is a masterful collection of piano works that effectively captures the mood and atmosphere of Baudelaire's poetry. The preludes are challenging and virtuosic, but also deeply expressive and emotionally resonant.

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