2020 - 2027

The aim of the project is to shed new light on the genre of the piano prelude in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, taking into account music theory treatises and textbooks on the lively and widespread practice of prelude playing at that time.

Historical writings on preludes that were written during the period under consideration and/or are known to have been used for teaching purposes will be examined with regard to the theoretical and practical content they convey. Particular focus will be placed on rules and instructions concerning harmony, counterpoint, modulation and the formal structure of improvised or composed preludes. The reappraisal of this chapter in the history of music theory not only allows conclusions to be drawn about contemporary compositional and compositional thinking, but also reveals aspects of historical composition and theory didactics.

The results of the studies described will then be applied to analyses of selected prelude collections. They are of great interest to several sub-disciplines of current music theory teaching (such as piano improvisation and subject didactics).