The argument has been waged since Polish pianist/composer Frédéric Chopin completed his famous 24 Préludes - a set of musical snapshots, each evoking a single emotion.
They belonged together by virtue of having been composed as a package, but little else connects them. They were the first preludes not linked to a bigger work; they went absolutely nowhere.
Which is why the preludes were hotly debated back in Chopin's day - the late 1830s and early 1840s -Â and still raise an academic eyebrow or two today.
They also are the central plot of Harry Clark's new piece,"Preludes: Chopin to Debussy to Poe," which is part of his Chamber Music Plus Southwest "Rhythms of Life" portrait series. Chamber Music Plus will perform the world premiere on Sunday.
In "Preludes," Clark weaves the arguments of a dozen or more leading musical and literary figures into a conversation between two men debating the merits of Chopin's preludes.
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"It's like capturing a hummingbird in motion," says Clark, who compares the 24 Préludes to the 1990s hit sitcom "Seinfeld" - a show about nothing. "And that's kind of what the preludes are, yet they are very powerful. They captured a moment in time."
Clark interrupts the men's debate with performances of Chopin's preludes. It's the same device he uses in the second half to introduce Debussy's preludes when the conversation turns to the French composer and his biggest inspiration, the macabre poet and author Edgar Allan Poe.
Debussy was so taken by Poe's literary genius that he based two operas on Poe short stories - "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Devil in the Belfry." Both remained unfinished at the time of Debussy's death.
If you go
"Preludes: Chopin to Debussy to Poe"
• Presented by: Chamber Music Plus Southwest.
• Featuring: Pianist Rex Woods and narration by James Reel and Steve McKee.
• Directed by: Howard Allen.
• Written by: Harry Clark.
• When: 3 p.m. Sunday.
• Where: Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway.
• Tickets: $35 with discounts available by calling 400-5439.
• Program: Several preludes each from Chopin and Debussy.
• Et cetera: This performance replaces the previously announced "A Chopin Cornucopia."
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@aztarnet.com or 573-4642.
