After several single pieces and several smaller piano cycles, in 1910 the recently composed Préludes, Premier Livre was published. The title draws on a traditional form, following Chopin’s example. In addition Debussy discreetly characterized his Préludes by dispensing with titles but giving the pieces programmatic directions at the end of each Prélude. This first volume became an immediate success and even today is considered to be the epitome of Debussy’s piano artistry. Some of these more substantial pieces are also within reach of those who do not intend to become concert pianists.
G. Henle Publishers stands for Urtext sheet music of the highest quality. The Urtext editions not only provide the undistorted and authoritative musical text but are also aesthetically pleasing, optimised for practical use and extremely durable. And then there is the strong, distinctive blue profile: (almost) all of the Urtext editions are bound in the characteristic blue cardboard.
Musicians trust Henle's blue Urtext editions because they:
- provide an undistorted, reliable and authoritative musical text
- offer superb, aesthetically appealing music engraving
- are optimised for practical use (page turns, fingerings)
- are of high quality and durable (cover, paper, binding)
- contain a short preface that introduces the work (particularly useful for AMEB exams) in German, English and French, as well as explanatory footnotes for particularly interesting passages in the score
- contain a description of the sources, an evaluation of the sources, readings and a documentation of the corrections made (= "Critical Report") in German and English, and often also in French
