Three Preludes (Muczynski)

Robert Muczynski wrote pieces not only for piano, but wrote for strings, saxophone, clarinet and flute as well. Shortly after writing his famous Sonata for Flute and Piano, Opus 14, between the years 1960 and 1961, Muczynski wrote Three Preludes for Unaccompanied Flute, Opus 18, in 1962. Despite the fact that this piece is called Three Preludes for Unaccompanied Flute, Muczynski meant them to be encores.

It is apparent after viewing these pieces that the different preludes portray the different characters of "jaunty, nocturnal, and free-wheeling."^[1]

Form

This piece is composed of three preludes:

1. Allegro
2. Andante molto
3. Allegro molto

First Prelude

The word jaunty literally means "having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk."^[2]

Second Prelude

In the second prelude, Muczynski marks the movement as "freely." He also characterizes this piece as "nocturnal."

Third Prelude

The piece uses accents to accentuate the off-beat rhythm.

References