Préludes, Deuxième Livre

In 1913, three years after publication of the Préludes I, another collection of twelve Préludes appeared. The pieces are longer and make use of a very wide register, which is why Debussy mainly notated them on three staves. As with the first volume of Préludes the programmatic additions only appeared at the end of each piece. The cycle closes with the virtuosic and brilliant Feux d’artifice, fireworks of pianistic bravura in the true sense of the word. The piano writing and title of no. 11, Les tièrces alternées, already hints at the twelve Études of 1915 (HN 390) with which Debussy was to end his piano œuvre.