Frédéric Chopin’s 24 Preludes were created successively between 1836 and 1839; it was only in the fair copy of 1839 that they were compiled as a cycle – virtually following the example of Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. Unlike with Bach, however, Chopin’s Preludes are not followed by fugues as they themselves have mutated into romantic character pieces which express a range of very different moods. The technically easier ones of these miniatures are perfect as an introduction to playing Chopin, all the more so since they include the probably most famous piece of the cycle, the socalled „Raindrop“ Prelude. Accordingly the selection of the Wiener Urtext Edition intends to provide both students and amateurs with an inspiring access to the tonal world of Chopin.