Ruth Crawford Seeger - Nine Preludes for Piano

Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901 - 1953) - Nine Preludes for Piano (1924 - 1928) I. Andante tranquillo [0:00] II. Allegro giocoso [1:26] III. Semplice [3:49] IV. Grave, mesto [7:36] V. Lento [12:02] VI. Andante mystico [15:40] VII. Intensivo [20:08] VIII. Leggiero [22:33] IX. Tranquillo [24:58] Steffen Schleiermacher, piano (2003) Ruth Crawford originally composed the first five preludes of this set in 1924 - 1925. In 1927 - 1928, she revised these five and added four more, which were published in Henry Cowell's New Music Edition. The works are dedicated to her piano teacher Djane Lavoie-Herz, who sparked Crawford's interest in theosophy and Scriabin. The influence of Scriabin and her fellow composer Dane Rudhyar is clear in these miniatures, but her distinct voice still shines through in the playfulness, clever dissonances, and rhythmic irregularities of several of the preludes.