Prélude [B major]

Composition and Manuscript

• Composition: Completed on March 12, 1911 [Paris]
• Manuscript: Bibliothèque nationale de France

Completed on the same day as Prélude [D-flat major]. Although the title "Prélude pour orchestre" (Prélude for Orchestra) was inscribed on the manuscript by Armagnac, it is registered in the Bibliothèque nationale de France catalog as "Prélude en si" (Prélude in B). As it is currently unknown whether Boulanger had the intention to orchestrate this work, it has been titled Prélude [B major]. Furthermore, for the same reason as Prélude [D-flat major], "B natural" has been rendered as "B major." However, while B major appears briefly at the very end, it is not used throughout the entire work.

Musical Characteristics and Performance Notes

Compared to Prélude [D-flat major], the melody and accompaniment are clearly differentiated. The work as a whole can be broadly divided into three sections based on the type of accompaniment figuration. In performance, attention should be paid to the sixteenth-note pulsation. It is important to effectively convey a bustling, agitated feeling while maintaining clarity. The music progresses without interruption throughout, but as it moves forward, the central note values gradually lengthen, and the tempo gradually slows down. Therefore, it is advisable to devise creative ways to express the differences in note values.

Source

This commentary is a revised version for the PTNA Piano Encyclopedia, based on the text published in Lili Boulanger Piano Works (Edited by Takatoshi Hirano, Kawai Publishing, 2015).