Three Preludes (Gershwin)

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Three Preludes is a collection of short piano pieces by George Gershwin, which were first performed by the composer at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City in 1926. Each prelude is a well-known example of early-20th-century American classical music, as influenced by jazz. The three pieces, when played together consecutively, typically run about a total of five minutes.

Gershwin originally planned to compose 24 preludes called The Melting Pot for this group of works^[1]. The number was reduced to seven in manuscript form, and then reduced to six in public performance, and further decreased to three when first published in 1926.^[2] Two of the remaining preludes not published were rearranged for solo violin and piano and published as Short Story. Of the other two, the Prelude in G was eliminated by the publisher because somewhat similar music had already appeared in Gershwin's Concerto in F. The other was excluded for unknown reasons.

Gershwin dedicated his Preludes to friend and musical advisor Bill Daly.

The pieces have been arranged for solo instruments, small ensembles, and piano.