PRELUDE – B WEIRD

The Concept: A Deconstruction of Tradition

The work was commissioned for a project where 24 composers were invited to respond to the 24 keys of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier—the “Old Testament” of classical music, famous for proving that instruments could modulate through every tonality.

Vrolijk’s response to this legacy of harmonic exploration is an act of defiant restriction. While Bach’s genius lay in his fluidity, Vrolijk’s concept explores the psychological state of being “stuck.” In a modern world obsessed with progress and constant change, this piece asks a radical question: What happens if we refuse to leave the room?

Musical Iconography: The Motoric Loop

Vrolijk treats the piano not as a singing instrument, but as a machine of obsession.

• The Rhythm of Fixation: The texture is driving and motoric. It mimics the sound of a thought loop—an anxious, repetitive energy that builds tension not through development, but through sheer, unyielding persistence. It is a virtuoso display of endurance rather than expansion.

• The B-Minor Lock: The piece stubbornly refuses to modulate. It establishes B Minor not just as a home key, but as a cage. Every attempt to harmonically escape is beaten back by the relentless logic of the root note.