In 1913, three years after publication of the Préludes I, another collection of twelve Préludes appeared. The pieces are longer and make use of a very wide register, which is why Debussy mainly notated them on three staves. As with the first volume of Préludes the programmatic additions only appeared at the end of each piece. The cycle closes with the virtuosic and brilliant Feux d’artifice, fireworks of pianistic bravura in the true sense of the word. The piano writing and title of no. 11, Les tièrces alternées, already hints at the twelve Études of 1915 (HN 390) with which Debussy was to end his piano œuvre.
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Preface
The completion of Book 2 of the Préludes was more problematical than the first. Debussy had certainly started work on the volume by 1911, and by late 1912 he considered it practically complete. Two pieces, however, presented difficulties, as he reported to his publisher Durand on 7 January 1913. One of these – Debussy does not mention it by title – was probably Feux … more
Critical Commentary
About the composer

Claude Debussy
Most important French composer around 1900, whose music, primarily characterized by its sound, exhibits profound innovations. His oeuvre bears a close relationship to Symbolism.
1862 | Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye on August 22. |
1872–84 | Studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. During this time, he travels with the family of Nadezhda von Meck to Switzerland, Italy, Vienna, and Russia, where he becomes acquainted with Russian and Gypsy music. |
1884 | Wins the Prix de Rome with his cantata “L’Enfant prodigue.” Thereafter resides in Rome until 1887. |
1887–89 | Songs, “Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire.” |
1888/89 | Visit to the Bayreuth Festival; criticism of Wagner. |
1889 | Exposition universelle (World Exposition) in Paris, where he learns about East Asian music, which influences his style. |
1890 | Connection to Mallarmé and his circle. |
1891/1903 | Series of songs, “Fêtes galantes,” after Verlaine. |
1891–94 | Orchestral work “Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” (“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”) with arabesque-like melodies. |
1897–99 | Nocturnes for orchestra and women’s voices. |
1901 | Beginning of his activity as a music critic. |
1902 | Performance of the opera “Pelléas et Mélisande” after the Symbolist drama by Maeterlinck, which despite criticism spells his breakthrough. |
1903–05 | Orchestral work “La Mer” uses symphonic principles and “Impressionist” tonal language. |
1905–07 | Books one and two of “Images” for piano. |
1906–08 | “Children’s Corner,” children’s pieces for piano. |
1909–10/11–1913 | Books one and two of the “Préludes” for piano; the programmatic titles of these character pieces, some of which are quite esoteric, are listed at the end of each one. |
1913 | Songs “Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé.” |
1915–17 | Chamber music sonatas, drawing from the French tradition of the eighteenth century. |
1918 | Death in Paris on March 25. |