Why are Chopin's pieces all calles preludes??

[lousyplayer]

Isn't a prelude something before something else?? so what follows Chopin's preludes?? the nocturnes??

[keyb0ardfweak]

That question has really no answer, no one knows, a prelude to what?The question has never been answered.


However, we know he starts in Cmajor (Op.28 nº1) then in A minor (Op.28nº2) which is the relative minor..
And he does it with the next ones, the 3rd is in Gmajor, so the 4th will be in E minor and etcetcetc.
Having every tonality with its relative minor like Bach did with his WTC

[zezhyrule]

Yes, but while Bach progressed chromatically, Chopin went along the circle of fifths. Makes them sound better as a whole imo.

As for why they're called preludes, you could always try google

[krajcher]

Naming them "preludes" Chopin refers to WTC of J.S. Bach.

Chopin adored Bach. He also knew all preludes anf fugues by heart.

https://en.chopin.nifc.pl/chopin/genre/detail/id/13

[ceapaire]

They're a cycle - each one is a prerequisite of the next, since they're in a circle of 5ths. You could start at any point in the cycle, play through them all and it would all make perfect sense.