Posthumous Etudes (Preludes and Exercises)

Posthumous preludes and exercises
Composed by Joachim Andersen
Reconstructed and edited by Carl M. Tucker
Published by Little Piper

From Andersen's original undated manuscript not previously published without alteration.

There is in the Musikhistorisk Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, a series of manuscript pages of works composed by Andersen and not printed during his lifetime. It is evident that these pages were created at four different times. The first problem was finding a logical order for their presentation. The twenty-one single-sided sheets in this volume contain 98 works, divided into four groups:
          – One: Two unnumbered sides of 22 simple scale and chord preludes in C, a, G, and e, not given numbers by Andersen. They appear to have been an afterthought, and are the only “warm-ups” we have from that great teacher. Their undeniable benefit to the flutist technique has been reinforced by every teacher since his time. I have numbered them 00.01 to 0.22
          – Two: The main body of the work – 15 sides numbered by Andersen – consisting of 62 etudes in progressively more difficult sharp keys ending with nine in six flats which I have numbered from 1.23 to 15.84
          –  Three: A single side of 5 etudes in less difficult keys, individually numbered by Andersen, which I have numbered 18.85 to 18.89
          – Four: Three sides of 9 etudes, 8 in sharps, one in C, not given numbers by Andersen, which I have numbered 19.90 to 21.98
      I have kept Andersen's numbering of the main body intact by giving the first two sides the awkward designation 00 and 0. Missing are 16 and 17. Any additional transpositons by me, and their sources, are indicated. You might choose to make even more transposition to improve your facility in the more difficult keys. The Preludes and Exercises are assorted by signature, but their numbers are those in the manuscript. Andersen provided no metronome markings.
      This is the first time these works have been meticulously reproduced as Andersen wrote them. The manuscripts reveal that he “heard” these works and then wrote them down quite freely; scratchings-out, precautionary accidentals, even wrong notes, were found. These have been removed in an attempt to reproduce music for study that is perfect in every way. Andersen's few errors are noted with asterisks, but corrected. His precautionary accidentals are removed, making this an ideal example of music following the rules.
      You will have the problem of the signature-versus-the-accidental strongly presented to you. Keeping the “long-term memory” of the signature in control while retaining the “short-term memory” of the accidental combines hearing the melody and at the same time understanding the harmonic implications. The challenge is to resist writing in precautionary accidentals near the end of a 36-note bar! The challenge met is faultless reading.
-Carl Tucker, 2003