1

24 preludes voor piano uit de vroege virtuozentijd, 1790-1835

Een aanzet tot een genealogie van de 24 preludes van vr Chopins opus 28,
deel 2
Jeroen Riemsdijk

Until now there has not been done any research on the field of 24 preludes written
prior to the Prludes opus 28 by Chopin. In his previous article Jeroen Riemsdijk has
inventoried twenty-five collections of preludes, from which seven form cycles of 24
preludes through all keys. Most of these collections of preludes are connected to the
art of preluding. The fashion of the day was the style brillant. The central question
of this present article is, which collection of 24 preludes, written before Chopins opus
28, are suitable for an integral performance as a cycle. Of the seven cycles of 24
preludes three form instruction albums in theart of preluding, two albums seem lost
and from the two larger Parisian collections, at least one is suitable for an integral
performance.

The Friday-evening soirees that took place in 1829 and 1830 at the
residence of Joseph Christoph Kessler in Warsaw, where visited
by young Frderic Chopin en the two became close friends. On
those evenings musician friends often where side reading
scores and Chopin got familiar with the newest music of that
time, but also with chamber music by Beethoven. Kessler was
about ten years older than Chopin and beside music he had
studied philosophy. The two discussed music and art and visited
each others concerts.
1

Kessler had written his 24 Studies opus 20 in 1825, and when he moved to Warsaw in
1829, Chopin got familiar with them. In that same year Chopin started writing his first
studies culminating in his 12 Studies
2
, opus 10, a series he had almost completed
when he arrived in the autumn of 1831 in Paris. Kesslers Studies have left their marks
on the first Studies, opus 10 by Chopin.
3
Liszt wrote in 1838 in a letter to Kessler:
years ago, my dear Sir, I worked a good deal on your beautiful Studies, and ever
since I have always followed all your publications with a lively interest. My dear
friend Chopin too has very often spoken to me about you, and it would be a great
pleasure for me to know you personally.
4

Kessler only lived for a short period of time in Warsaw; because of the Polish
revolution, he moved in November 1830 first to Breslau, and afterwards for a longer
period to Lemberg, where he had lived before he went to Warsaw. As musician he
therefore had his career far away from the hot spot Paris. Lemberg, now called Lviv,
was considered, like Saint Petersburg, as one of the foremost musical centres of
Eastern Europe.
Kessler honoured
their friendship by
dedicating his 24
Prludes opus 31 to
Chopin. Chopin
from his side
dedicated the German edition of his 24 Preludes, opus 28 a mon ami Kessler.
5

Halina Goldberg
6
has found some striking parallels between the 24 Prludes and 24
2
tudes of Kessler and the 24 Prludes of Chopin. Kesslers 24 Prludes are short
works, often just a couple of bars long. The first five Prludes only contain 8 bars and
a single one is 28 bars long. This small volume goes beyond the usual didactic
purpose of the preluding albums with its advanced display of original technical
challenges, which are in fact mono-thematic miniature studies
7
. They are short
sketches with more complex passagework, chords and embellishments. They have no
particular value as separate character pieces and certainly for an integral cyclic
performance the compositions seem too casual.
8
The keys have no order and start
brutally in F sharp major instead of the usual C major.






























Kessler is one of the at least seven composers who have written a cycle 24 preludes
for piano before the publication of Chopins opus 28.

1814 Johann NepumukHummel
1821 Wilhelm Wrfel
1822 Henri Herz
1820/25 ca Charles Chaulieu
1827 Friedrich Kalkbrenner
1834 Joseph Kessler
183? Wojciech (Albert) Sowinski
3

Chopins 24 Prludes, opus 28 where first published in 1839. Chopin composed his
first one, no. 7 in A-major at the end of 1835. Before travelling to Mallorca he had
worked on most others. During his stay at Mallorca he composed the remaining four
or five and refined the rest.
9
His 24 Preludes have a special position among his oeuvre
as well as among all existing 24 preludes. His 24 Prludes have inspired many
composers after him to write for this genre. The question I try to answer in this essay
is, if some cycles of 24 preludes written before the publication of Chopins opus 28
have the quality to be performed integral on concert as a cycle. The published
preludes written between 1790 and 1835 usually are meant as didactic works in the
art of preluding.
As far as known, the first cycle of 24 preludes for piano
10
is written by pianist-
composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel. Kessler was, like many of his contemporary
pianist colleagues, a great admirer of Hummel en had dedicated his 24 Studies to him
in the hope, to win his attention and favour. Hummel, Kapelmeister at that time in
Weimar, rejected the question, if he could teach the 26 years old Kessler, in a short,
sober letter. Dear Mr Kessler, I am, very sorry not to be able to grant your wish; my
occupations dont allow me even to teach my son. Therefore it is certainly not
possible to accept strangers. I therefore apologise myself. Sincerely, Hummel.
11
This
to great disappointment of Kessler.

Young Chopin knew some piano works by Hummel already before Hummel came to
perform in Warsaw in 1828. On the Friday evening soirees at Kesslers residence, also
works by Hummels were performed. Ferdinand Hiller, pupil of Hummel, kept Chopin
in Paris updated about the wellbeing of his master. Hummel-biographer Mark Kroll
calls him mentor of Chopin.
12
Hummel was regarded a genius improviser, like
Beethoven. When Chopin made his debut in Vienna, his improvising, was appreciated
by a critique as equally striking as of his two celebrated colleagues. Chopin often led
his pupils play works by Hummel. Hummel toured more then any of his
contemporaries, in fact creating a model for the contemporary travelling artist, and
was a innovator in the commercial aspects of the musical business, like
advertisement, PR and copyright.
13
He was one of the most sought after teachers in
Europe and in fact the most popular composer at his time, the appearance of every
new composition considered as a great event by his critics, the audience and the
musicians around him.
14

4
Hummel wrote his Vorspiele vor Anfang eines Stckes aus allen 24 dur und moll
Tonarten zum ntzlichem Gebrauch fr Schler, opus 67 in the years 1814-15.
Some of the Vorspiele are only 5 bars in length and the longest is 12 bars. Hummel
follows the circle of fifths, every major key followed by the minor parallel, so C-a, G-
e etcetera. Chopin follows the same structure. Often some influence of Hummels
Vorspiele on those by Chopin is mentioned, but there are no clear and relevant marks
that show such influence directly.

Each of the Vorspiele contains a short pattern as basis. Therefore they are nothing else
then preluding formulas, with an ornamental and often virtuoso character. In some
cases harmonic sequences are used. As compositions of there own they have no
particular value. The Vorspiele by Hummel form introductions in the art of preluding
and could serve as models and had no purpose as a cycle or as character pieces.
The Vingt quatre petits Prludes, opus 9 by Charles Chaulieu are similar short
pedagogic works as Hummels and typical for the preluding style of the time, as
described by Czerny in his Systematische Anleitung zum Fantasieren auf dem Piano,
opus 200.
Typical ways of writing in preluding style is shown in Vorspiel no 21 in D flat major.

In a later edition (Nouveau Edition) by Lemoine, the preluding character disappears
by a notation in two-four tact.

Charles Chaulieu (1788-1849) studied, like Kalkbrenner, with Louis Adam and
Charles Catel at the Conservatory of Paris. Chaulieu was mainly teacher; he wrote
several pedagogic treats composed sonatas and transcribed Opera Arias. Between
5
1833 and 1835 he was editor of the magazine Le pianist. Chaulieu was one of the
guests who attained the debut concert of Chopin in Paris on the 26
th
of February 1832.
All cycles of 24 preludes by Hummel, Kessler and Chaulieu are short pieces, sketches
and models in the improvisatory preluding style, and have no significance as musical
pieces of their own. They are not character pieces, without melodies or even
fragments of melodies.
Zielinski mentions in his Chopin-biography the existence of a collection of Studies in
the form of Preludes trough all major and minor tonalities
15
by Wilhelm Wrfel
dating from 1821. Librarian Andrzej Spz of the musical library WTM in Warsaw
wrote me, that in Poland there are no examples of this cycle available. The only
known place where they are mentioned is in the article by L. Letronne in 1821 in the
Warsaw Couries, no 92. The catalogue of the National Library of Vienna, the city
where Wrfel lived and worked later, has several scores of Wrfel, but not his 24
Studies in the form of Preludes.
Wrfel most likely played a significant role in the musical education of young
Chopin, as a pianist. Bohemian born Vclav Vilm (Wilhelm) Wrfel (1791-1832)
taught piano and organ at Elsners Academy of Music. There are no documents that
could give an indication about the sort of lessons that Wrfel gave to Chopin.
Biographer Zielinski suggests that the general opinion that Chopin was mainly
autodidact could well be completely untrue and is even most unlikely.
16
Most
likely there was someone, who took care of Chopins development as pianist, and this
person could have been very well Wrfel.
17
For sure, Chopin took organ lessons with
him and this gives enough reason to believe that he got as well consultations on his
piano playing. Wrfel, who was a first rate pianist, gave the young Frederic valuable
suggestions and remarks in the new virtuoso techniques of his time and took care of
his development in piano playing. He gave him also lessons on the organ and made
him familiar with the international contemporary piano repertoire of the style
brilliant
18
that was the fashion of the days. Wrfel played a role at the debut concert
of Chopin in Vienna, where Wrfel had become in the meantime second conductor of
the Krtnertorntheater. The Vingt Exercises et Prludes by Maria Szymanowska are
substantial compositions and Wrfel might have known those in the time he lived in
Warsaw. He wrote his collection one year after hers. It could mean, that his cycle also
go beyond the pure pedagogic intentions of the art of preluding, presented in the
small pieces of preludes, but this is for the moment only a presumption.
Until now, also the score of the Vingt quatre prludes et exercises dans tous les ton
majeurs et mineurs, opus 20 by Wojciech(Albert) Sowinski I have not found. Besides
being pianist Sowinski was journalist and he had asked Chopin to be the Warsaw
correspondent for the Revue Musicale. Sowinski was one of the first Polish
connections when Chopin arrived in Paris and he was one of the pianists who
performed on Chopins debut concert in Paris. Kalkbrenner had programmed his
Polonaise opus 93.
19
The original score for piano and orchestra was arranged for in
total six pianists. Kalkbrenner performed with Chopin the two solo parts and four
pianists, including Sowinski, did the accompaniment on pianos. Chopin played his
part on what he called a monochord
20
and had Kalkbrenner playing on a grand
piano. All four Paris composers of 24 preludes where present at this concert.
Chaulieu and Herz where among the audience and Kalkbrenner and Sowinski where
performing on stage.
6
The two collections of 24 preludes written before Chopins opus 28 who have the
potential to be performed as a cycle are of the two foreign Parisian pianist-
composers (in this order) Henri Herz and Friedrich Kalkbrenner. That is not because
of the larger scale of their 24 preludes, but also the way they end their cycle. Herz
ends his collection with a Fugue and Kalkbrenner with an extensive Fantasy in three
parts. Forms that usually are not part of the genre of preludes, though the rules for
what is a prelude is not precisely defined.
21

The names of Kalkbrenner and Herz often occur, when the Paris piano scene in the
twenties and thirties of the nineteenth century is mentioned. Kalkbrenner (1885) is
almost a generation older then Herz (1803) and both studied at the Paris
Conservatory, though where not French born. Herz was born in Vienna and
Kalkbrenner had spent his early youth at courts in Kassel and Berlin and both had
strong connections with piano firms. Herz was connected to Erard and had later his
own piano firm Herz. Kalkbrenner was a Pleyel-representative. Herz had his
Dactylion and Kalkbrenner his Guide-mains. Both where teacher and businessman
and composed opera phantasies and variations.
Chopin chose to consult Kalkbrenner initially he admired him tremendously soon
after his arrival in Paris, and not Herz. Kalkbrenner was seen as the star pianist in
Paris during those years. Until Chopin
22
only in a certain way - and a few years later
especially Liszt and Thalberg
23
took over the torch.
Henri Herz completed his Exercices et Prludes pour Piano dans tous les tons
majeurs et mineurs, opus 21 in 1822, when he was nearly twenty. That Herz dedicated
his volume to Hummel is significant. The preludes by Herz are of a different order
then those by Hummel and a first view at the score shows instantly the large
ambitions and pretentiousness of Herz. With this collection he seems to give his
pianistic answer on the 24 Vorspiele by Hummel and he shows certainly his playing
cards. Nevertheless there are only seven years between the publication of the two
cycles.
Prior to the publication of Chopins opus 28 preludes and exercises occasionally
appeared as one collection. Such albums by Sowinski and Wrfel where preceded by
Maria Szymanowska, an excellent pianist who worked later in Saint Petersburg. Her
compositions left their marks on those of young Chopin. Her 24 Exercises et Prludes
(1820) are not so much instruction pieces but rather character pieces and can be
considered, with the Prludes by Kessler as the main inspiration for Chopins opus
28.
24
In 1825 twelve of them where separately published as a collection of tudes.
The first English edition of the 24 Prludes by Chopin in 1841 were, like the Studies
opus 10 and 25, published in two volumes. On the front page is written: This work
forms book 5 & 6 of Chopins Grand Studies.
25
It is an indication that by that time
both etudes and preludes where considered of didactic nature and a clear
distinction was not yet evident. Of the Exercises and Preludes by Herz, no 2
(repetition technique), no 19 and 17 (pass over
the hands), no 10, 13 and 16 (brilliant
passagework), no 17 (legato) and no 21
all are etude-like. The 2
nd
prelude with
its repetition notes is composed just after
the introduction of Erards Double
chappement. From our present view these Exercices et
7
Prludes can easily been seen as a cycle of 24 preludes. Many of the later albums
with 24 preludes after Chopin contain challenging Etude-passages.
The first prelude in C give a clear message to the kind of virtuosity that is expected in
the rest of the album, and is an exposition of brilliant passage-techniques and
modulation-techniques.



About half of the 24 Exercises and Preludes
26
have a unity of thematically material,
while others are more of a loose and improvisatory nature.
Remarkable is, that some of the musical ideas are anticipating later piano
compositions by Liszt and Chopin. In some cases the similarities are too obvious to
ignore.
Prelude no. 5 in E flat major resembles
Liszt first piano concerto in E-flat major.
Remarkably.


And what about the chromatic sequences in Prelude no 11, which resembles the Study
opus 10 no 3 as if Chopin has copied it instantly.

The thematically relationship of Prelude no 22 in c sharp minor with Chopins Prelude
in c-minor is something remarkable.

8





The cycle finishes with a fugue, which gives a dignifying and serious ending of the
collection. Also the last movement of his Sonata di Bravoura opus 200 Herz
introduces a beginning of a fugue.
With his cycle Herz has transformed the art of preluding to a new stage of pianistic
bravoura with extended theatrical, flamboyant and creative passagework. But do his
24 Exercises et Prludes have enough substance to stand as 24 pieces that could be
performed as a cycle on a concert? Many of the 24 Preludes have enough strength and
character to stand on their own, without being an introduction to other compositions.
Nevertheless, there are preludes that stay in line with the traditional way of preluding,
with up and down rolling scales and passages, without any dramatic narrative content.


9
When the listener though is willing to accept such parts in this cycle, a complete
performance could be considered.
Herz doesnt mention any pedagogic purpose in his cycle, what is understandable
seen the young age he composed the album. A purpose that have the other (24)
preludes before Chopins opus 28. Are the techniques refreshing and new in that time
and do they point to the approach of Chopin and Liszt, his many variation works and
Phantasies, his oeuvre count 224 official works, looses this freshness and innovative
spirit very soon, and his works where fanatically criticised by serious composers
like Schumann.
Friedrich Kalkbrenners Vingt quatre prludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs,
pouvant servir dExemple pour apprendre a prluder, opus 88 from 1827, serve
according to the title as examples to learning the art of preluding.
The first two preludes pass quickly and the last three preludes are lengthy; the last
prelude even is a multi-paged Phantasie in three parts. This 24
th
preludes does not
refer to the traditional preluding in the sense of resembling an improvised
introduction but to the wider definition of the French prluder, what means
improvising in a more general way.
27
Also the twenty-second and third preludes
have an unusual length for what was common fashion in this genre.
The first 16 Preludes have mainly one musical idea, but from no 17 on, the preludes
become more whimsical and several themes and characters are worked out in one
piece, one time using an A-B-A-form.
Many of Kalkbrenners preludes
are contrapuntal.
28
Like prelude no
8.
Other preludes show elements of
Etudes with brillant Jeu perl-passagework. One therefore could speak of Brilliant
preludes.



Timbrell writes in his French pianism, that the term jeu perl in France is first
mentioned in context of the playing style of Thalberg. Though it was already year
before that Meyenbeer in his diaries mentions jeu perl when he is describing the
piano playing of Kalkbrenner. Timbrell
calls Kalkbrenner the Grandfather of
the French Pianoschool.
A single time the belcanto-melody in
Bellini style can be found. Prelude no
17 bar 16-21.


10
Only one prelude reminds of the virtuoso kind of preluding. Prelude no 20.










A critic of that period writes, that if one can play flawless scales, one will find no
serious technical problem when playing Kalkbrenners works. Kalkbrenner considers
himself as Classical composer. Indeed, Kalkbrenner stand with one foot in the late-
classical style, being a student of Albrechtsberger and Haydn. When Gottschalk made
his debut in Salle de Pleyel in March 1845, his vanity didnt allow Kalkbrenner to
join Chopin afterwards to congratulate Gottschalk. Next day Kalkbrenner received
Gottschalk on audience at his residence. Kalkbrenner congratulated him and
commented: But I dont like the music you played Chopin, Liszt and Thalberg.
They are not classical. With Stamaty you should perform my music. That is classical.
And besides, everybody loves it.
29
On the other hand, his first Piano Concerto from
1823, that made him famous as pianist and composer throughout Europe, is certainly
of strong influence of the concertos by Chopin. As composer of such concerto he
stand therefore also with the other foot in the Romantic area.
All of his 24 Prludes, opus 88 show a great improvisatory ease and are full of
sequenced passagework. They are rhythmically rather poor. Although one can sense
the improvisatory character all the time, his preludes are all compositions more
consistent then those by Herz, where many of his 24 Exercises et Prludes are
rhapsodic and fragmentary. The pedagogic title is for the vain Kalkbrenner
remarkable modest. Kalkbrenners Prludes form a representative cycle worth to be
performed integral on the concert stage or as separate pieces.
Beside this album of 24 Prludes Kalkbrenner composed some nine more preludes at
the end of his Trait, that were published in 1849, the year of his death.
30
These
models of preludes are more scholar and didactic of nature compared to his opus 88.
Although Kalkbrenners Introductions composed before variations and phantasies
could be considered as examples of the art of preluding (as Czerny considered
already), his introductions and preludes show a different nature. Introductions in
general are usually used to increase musical tension and mood, before the main theme
starts and are less free and open ended then many of the preludes of that period before
Chopins opus 28.
11
In the period Kalkbrenners opus 88 were published, in 1827, young Liszt had written
his first version of the 12 Studies. It seems, Liszt had considered naming his Studies
Prludes, but in the end only the first piece remained a Preludio. Liszt had
ambitious plans for writing 48 Studies. His early version of the 12 Studies seem poor
compared with his later version of 12 Grande Etudes and Etudes dExecution
Trascendante, but they hold place compared with many of his contemporary preludes
and studies and for a young man of about 15 years they are nevertheless brilliant.
The 24 preludes, opus 28 by Chopin are different from all his precursors. Zielinski
speaks about a kaleidoscope and encyclopaedia of moods
31
, motley of musical
images, colours and playing techniques. The 24 preludes by Kalkbrenner form a
worthily precursor by those of Chopin. The cycles of 24 preludes written after
Chopins opus 28 are by no means anymore didactic works in the art of preluding.
With Chopin as one of the main sources of inspiration, the cycle of 24 preludes has
grown unto a respected genre, which is beloved especially by composers, who are
decent or even excellent pianists.
Source list
Brown, Maurice J. E. The Chronology of Chopin's Preludes in The Musical Times August 1957
Chopin, Frederic Chopins Letters Dover Publications New York1931/1988
Eigeldinger, Jean-Jaques, Twenty-four preludes opus 28: genre, structure, significance in: Chopin Studies ed,
by J. Samson Camebridge University Press 1988.
Gerig, Reginald, Famous Pianists and their technique Indiana University Press 1974/2007
Goldberg, Halina, Music in Chopins Warsaw Oxford University Press 2008
Kalkbrenner, Trait dharmonie du pianiste, principes rationelles de la modulation pour apprendre a preluder
et a limproviser. Heuwekemeyer 1980
Kallberg, Jeffrey, Small forms: in defence of the prelude in: The Cambridge Companion to Chopin,
Cambridge University Press 1992.
Kroll, Mark, Johann Nepomuk Hummel a musicians life and world The Scarecrow Press, Inc 2007
Levesque, Shane, Functions and Performance Practice of Improvised Ninetheenth-Century Piano Preludes,
Dutch Journal of Music Theory Vol. 13 No. 1 Febr. 2008 Amsterdam University Press.
Nautsch, Hans, Friedrich Kalkbrenner. Wirkung und Werk, Dissertatie Hamburger Beitrge zur
Musikwissenschaft 1983.
Pyllemann, Franz Mittheilungen ber J.C. Kessler in: Algemeine Musikalische Zeitung VII Jahrgang nr. 12
1872
Golos George S. Some Slavic Predecessors of Chopin in: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 46, No. 4, 1960.
Timbrell, Charles French Pianism. A Historical perspective Kahn & Avrill London 1992/99.
Woodring, Valerie, By Way of Introduction: Preluding by 18th- and Early 19th-Century Pianists in The
Journal of Musicology, Vol. 14, No. 3, 1996, pp. 299-337 University of California Press.
Zielinski, Tadeusz A., Chopin Sein Leben, sein Werk, seine Zeit, Schott 2008.

1
Goldberg p 193 Chopin had attained Kesslers concert where he performed the Pianoconcerto in E by
Hummel en Kessler was one of the priveledged guests who attained the performance of Chopins newly
composed e-minor piano concerto at Chopins residence, that took place on 22 september 1830 . The
accompanement was a score reduction for small ensemble.
2
Although Kesslers Studies opus 20 where popular, he never has received revenues from sales from
his Viennese Publisher Haslinger. Also Chopin didnt receive any money from Haslinger who
published his opus 2. Haslinger was willing to publish his variations opus 2, but because Chopin was
still an unknown artist in Vienna in that time Haslinger didnt want to pay a single penny.
3
Goldberg p. 194.
4
AMZ, p 186.
5
The French and English edition are dedicated to C. Pleyel. On the manuscript to Fontana the name J.
C. Kessler has been scrached and replaced by Mr Camille Pleyel, par son ami.
6
Goldberg, p 195-199.
7
Goldberg p. 195.
8
The polish publisher Ferdinand Gajewski, who had reprinted the work in 1994, suggests to perform
the cycle as a whole. I dont share his opinion. As publisher it is understandable to promote his edition.
9
Brown, p 423
10
When we take cembalo into acount, most likely the first 24 preludes are composed by Georg
Andreas Sorge in the period 1740-1750.
12

11
AMZ, p 187
12
Kroll, p 309
13
Kroll, p xi
14
Kroll p xii
15
Zbir exercycyi w kszatalcie preludyw z wszystkich tonw maior I minor
16
Zielinski, p 865
17
Zielinski, p 866
18
Zielinski, p 49
19
Polonaise, Opus 92 for piano, 2 violins, viola, cello en contrabas.
20
Chopin wrote to Elsner that he was playing on a monochord, but it was a table-piano. It was the
newest patented model of Pleyels collection with only one snare per key, to guarenty solid tuning. See
the newest publication by Eigeldinger, Chopin et Pleyel (2010).
21
Goertzen, blz 303 The French verb Prluder and german Prludiren mean playing an
introduction, but it had also a broader meaning as improvisation; in dthis broader sence a prelude is
also an improvised piecewithout relation to an introduction.
22
After 1835 Chopin stopped an active carrierre as performing pianist. The three concerts that he gave
in Pleyels hall in 1841, 1842, and 1848 where considered as prescious among his admirers. Chopin
was, despite his unique way of playing, never favorite as vortuoso on the larger stage. He prefered to
perform for a small circle of friends and admirers.
23
Often, the duel between Liszt and Thalberg in 1837 is taken as symbolic moment.
24
Goldberg p. 194
25
Opus 10: Grand studies 1 & 2; opus 25: Grand Studies 3 & 4.
26
No 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 22 en 24.
27
Goertzen p 327
28
Kalkbrenner studied contrapunt with Albrechtsberger.
29
Gerig p 136
30
Trait dharmonie du pianiste, principes rationelles de la modulation pour apprendre a preluder et a
limproviser. Examples dEtudes, de Fugues et de Prludes pour piano.
31
Zielinski, p 580-581