On his new album Canadian virtuoso pianist Jan Lisiecki brings the diverse sounds of the prelude to life, illustrating the genre’s potential to be more than just a curtain-raiser to something else. Frédéric Chopin’s extraordinary 24 Preludes Op. 28 are inspiration and centerpiece of this recording. For Lisiecki, Chopin was a “master of the short form” who “brought the prelude out of the shadows and into the spotlight”. Chopin’s pieces are complemented and contrasted with selected preludes by other composers from across three centuries, each representing a pinnacle of achievement in the genre – from Bach, Messiaen, Rachmaninoff to Górecki. Lisiecki seeks “to showcase the broad possibilities of the humble prelude” that takes “the audience on a musical expedition” through these kaleidoscopic miniatures.