twentyfour-preludes | johnbullard

Track Listing

1. Prelude No. 1, C major - Undulating 2:37

2. Prelude N0. 2, A minor - Presto 1:11

3. Prelude No. 3, D Major - Theme & Variations 3:49

4. Prelude No. 4, B minor - Dialogue 2:16

5. Prelude No. 5, E Major - Jig 1:25

6. Prelude No. 6, C Sharp minor - Presto 1:40

7. Prelude No. 7, F Sharp Major - Barcarolle 2:46

8. Prelude No. 8, E Flat minor - '80s Rock Groove 1:43

9. Prelude No. 9, A Flat Major - Cakewalk 2:34

10. Prelude No. 10, F minor - Passacaglia 2:53

11. Prelude No. 11, B Flat Major - Impromptu 1:58

12. Prelude No. 12, G minor - Waltz 3:12

Run Time - 28:52

John Bullard, Banjo

Preludes Composed by Adam Larrabee

Produced by John Bullard and David Traverse-Smith

Recorded by John Bullard at Hebron Presbyterian Church, Manakin Sabot, VA

Mixed and Mastered by David Traverse-Smith

Artwork by Kimberly Glyder

From The Composer :

24 Preludes for Solo Banjo, celebrates the long-standing tradition of classical musicians writing pieces in all major and minor keys to showcase an instrument’s versatility and capability in all keys as well as the breadth of tonal palette and timbres each various key has to offer. JS Bach, Chopin, Shostakovich and many others have written 24 preludes in this tradition. The Banjo — being a relatively new instrument (early 1800’s) and relegated almost exclusively to folk music since that time, with a brief foray into popular classical music — has not inherited the same legacy that traditional classical instruments have. These solo banjo preludes are written in a mostly early 20th-century, at times almost neo-classical style. I have also tried to make each prelude feature a different form, performance technique, timbre, or rhythmic style. There is an all-pizzicato or muted piece, one featuring natural harmonics or “chimes”, a Bulgarian Ratchenitsa, a Basque zortico, a passacaglia, a jazz “stride piano” style cakewalk, a theme and variations, a Brazilian choro in the style of the great Villa-Lobos, and Russian march ala Prokofiev. It has been a wonderful experience to feature the banjo in these many diverse styles and settings. I hope that more composers continue to write for the banjo in this way to create a new 21st century repertoire for this beautifully unique and versatile instrument!

—Adam Larrabee, 2018