12 Preludes

The 12 Preludes were written during the first year of my research on emotion. Conceived in the tradition of Chopin, Scriabin, Debussy and Rachmaninov, the planned cycle of 24 pieces became complete after twelve preludes and about forty minutes of music. They function as research-based experiments in beauty, expression and expectation, while leaving unusual freedom to the performer. Performing them later became an equally important part of the research: the works helped me explore the shifting boundary between composer and pianist.

The following note was sent to the participants in the exploration experiment:

“My 12 preludes were composed in an attempt to create music that evokes or contains emotions, but without having deep knowledge of knowing what evoking and containing emotions really mean. Everyone has some idea of what emotions are and how they relate to music. There are multiple philosophical and psychological theories and explanations on the subject but common sense and musical and emotional intuition are what drives the listener, performer, and even the composer when listening or creating music.”