Poetry

‘Praeludium Chopins’ – a prose-poem and a reworking of ‘Vignette: I look out through the window’ – was published in the ramblingly titled ‘Cremona’ – with which is incorporated ‘The Violinist’: A Record of the String World in London in July 1909. The appearance of concert reviews by ‘Caesar’ alongside the poem by KM suggests that Arnold and Garnet Trowell –– cellist and violinist, respectively ––were intermediaries between the writer and the London music magazine. Notably, the title of this newly-discovered work invokes the piano preludes of Frédéric Chopin, as well as the master works of the German baroque (including the preludes of J. S. Bach). Venezuelan/American pianist Teresa Carreño – the dedicatee ‘T. C.’ – appears to be the inspiration for the revision, and by extension, her performances of the famous ‘Raindrop’ Prelude, Op. 28, No. 15. Similar covert musical references are found, alongside experiments in musical punctuation, in other early works by KM including the poem ‘In the Church’ and ‘The Story of Pearl Button’ and all these prefigure the musical and literary convergences found in the mature works of KM, including her short story ‘Prelude’ (1917).