72 Preludes

The prelude was invented three centuries ago as a largely improvised, grand opening to a larger work. It then took a back seat in the Classical period, before Chopin became one of the first to repopularise it, completing his seminal set of 24 preludes in 1839. Since then, the prelude has evolved into a way for composers to express themselves freely and succinctly without formal constraints. It’s a genre that clearly fascinates Mao Fujita, whose <i>6 Preludes</i> EP follows on from his 2024 exploration of three sets of 24 preludes by Chopin, Scriabin and Akio Yashiro. <i>6 Preludes</i> showcases short piano works by Ravel, Franck, Mompou, Rachmaninoff, Busoni and Alkan. “I chose pieces in which the composer’s character appears even in these short works,” Fujita tells Apple Music Classical. “I wanted to understand what each composer values and what makes their music appealing.” Each prelude, he continues, offers him the opportunity explore different expressive sides to his playing: “I really enjoy thinking about which colour to use,” he says. Ravel proves typically concise in his Prélude, brilliantly distilling the essence of his style in just over a minute, while Franck in his offers one of his most enduring and loved melodies. Busoni and Alkan both conjure 18th-century pastiches, and Rachmaninoff offers something more akin to a Chopin-esque Nocturne. But it’s Mompou’s oasis of calm that most captivates Fujita. “It has a special sound, as if speaking from somewhere beyond this world,” he says. “The way the piece ends is also very beautiful.”