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Programme Note

Poul Ruders 13 POSTLUDES (1989)

The collection of short piano pieces entitled "13 Postludes" for piano solo was written in 1989 for Danish pianist Amalie Malling, right on the heels of my first symphony "Himmelhoch jauchzend - zum Tode betrübt", which was premiered in London during the 1990 Prom-season.
The involvement with the relatively simple task of writing for the piano after having dealt with the complexities of the enlarged symphony orchestra became a necessary ’un-winding’, physically as well as artistically, the result being a string of ’after-plays’ to the bigger piece as well as a string of rather melancholy character pieces, evoking the inherent thoughtfulness of the word ’Postlude’
The succession of the pieces runs as follows, Ostinato-Duetto-Toccata-Nocturne-Berceuse-Aria-Lachrimosa-Preambulum-March-Romance-Manége-Epilogue, and the 13th quest at the table; Requiem.

Poul Ruders, June 1991