This charming little prelude was not actually the first one I wrote for this collection, but rather a replacement for the original which felt out of place with the rest of the pieces. At first glance, it appears to be a study in thirds for the right hand while the left left hand keeps a steady underlying motion, but it is much more than that. There is a feeling of a journey, as though a leaf is floating down a stream. It starts out simple enough, with an air of peace and the image of sunlight on the water. There are moments when the trees block out the sun and the leaf goes in and out of the shimmering reflections, caught in the pull of the current, but nevertheless carried along without any concern as to where it is heading.
The music takes on a minor feel as the leaf enters the rapids and is tossed about from whirlpool to whirlpool, nearly being submerged but always finding its way to the surface before finally breaking free and continuing it’s journey with the same sense of tranquility with which it began.

Prelude Op. 1, No. 1

Terrence Niska