Prelude no.13 - Live performance by Henry Ng

Hello there! 

Before, I had the project in mind of writing 12 piano preludes, and that was just dandy. I don't know how consecutively I'll write more, but a few ideas have lingered lately so I figured I would dabble at it again. 

Here's a very short one in C, hope you enjoy!

Nostalgic vibe there. Do you think of the harmony first or melody?

On 11/8/2025 at 12:34 AM, HoYin Cheung said:

Nostalgic vibe there. Do you think of the harmony first or melody?

Thanks for checking this out!

Depends on the idea, I don't have a formula. This time it was just about adding voices to an unchanging melody while keeping it very simple. Other times I build everything off of a harmonic progression. Sometimes a rhythmic cell is really interesting and it starts from there.

But most importantly, I wish I had a better answer lol

Hey VInce,

I like the simplistic style here and the smooth voice leading. I will make sure to try this on piano and record it.

Henry

On 11/10/2025 at 7:01 PM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I will make sure to try this on piano and record it.

Awesome Henry! I have a version with all the fingering if that helps

😛 

Morning @Thatguy v2.0

Here is mine review of the prelude: 

The overall structure is built is first on opening phrase.  I love how you use this idea and expand on it.   The anticipation of each chord of each phrase is nice resolution of the chromatic raising line.   I think the implied harmonies: I-V/V-bII6-I.   This now makes ask...why are we going from V/V to bII6? 🙂  The answer:  this is not a typical resoultion of the seconary dom...

5 minutes ago, Kvothe said:

I think the implied harmonies: I-V/V-bII6-I.   This now makes ask...why are we going from V/V to bII6?

Which bars?

1 hour ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Which bars?

 

b2. I think. But  b5 is not? 

15 minutes ago, Kvothe said:

b2. I think. But  b5 is not?

Ah gotcha, thanks. The bII chord is throwing me off, you mean the Db one in b.9 (it has no 3rd)?

Btw, I wrote this for two reasons, and one was tinkering with implied harmony. It's interesting to hear different interpretations of it. Thanks for checking this out 🙂 

4 minutes ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Ah gotcha, thanks. The bII chord is throwing me off, you mean the Db one in b.9 (it has no 3rd)?

Btw, I wrote this for two reasons, and one was tinkering with implied harmony. It's interesting to hear different interpretations of it. Thanks for checking this out 🙂 

 

You are welcome.  🙂 

10 hours ago, Thatguy v2.0 said:

Awesome Henry! I have a version with all the fingering if that helps

😛 

😆 I'm sure my big hands can get hold of them haha

Hey Vince!

Nice prelude!  Does this mean you're just going to keep writing more of these periodically?  It would be cool!  I think the tonic 6/4 chord in the last bar makes me expect a V before resolving to the final chord.  It's such a well worn norm in classical music to hear the I 6/4 either followed by a dominant or a cadenza.

13 hours ago, Kvothe said:

I think the implied harmonies: I-V/V-bII6-I.   This now makes ask...why are we going from V/V to bII6? 🙂  The answer:  this is not a typical resoultion of the seconary dom...

Considering that a V/V and bII6 are both pre-dominant function chords, I don't think it would be unusual to transition from one to the other, especially since the V/V can function as a tritone substitution of the bII.

12 hours ago, Kvothe said:

b2. I think. But  b5 is not? 

But there are no bII's in those bars.  In bar 2, the implied chords are V/V, IV, ii7b5, with an anticipation of the return to the tonic in bar 3.  Then in bar 5, there is a resolution to vi.  The only place where a bII appears anywhere in this piece (as Vince mentioned) is in bar 9 beat 3 but it's in root position with the 3rd omitted.

But thanks for sharing Vince!

19 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

I think the tonic 6/4 chord in the last bar makes me expect a V before resolving to the final chord.

No V for you sir

Thanks for checking it out Peter! 😁

Updated with @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu's performance... thanks Henry!

On 11/12/2025 at 11:56 PM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Does this mean you're just going to keep writing more of these periodically?

I think so!

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance! 🙂