Vorspiel

What it means

A Vorspiel is an introductory instrumental piece. In music theatre it designates the short orchestral music before an act, which leads directly into the scene and thereby replaces the longer, self-contained overture. In the church service, Vorspiel means the organ piece before a congregational hymn, which gives the key, tempo, and melody. In song and aria, the term designates the bars of accompaniment before the first sung note.

Musical use

In all three meanings the Vorspiel has a preparatory task, but the means differ. The prelude to an act introduces the mood and often the motives of what follows and ends openly, so that the transition is fluid. The chorale prelude at the organ can simply present the melody or elaborate it artfully; in the literature it is a genre of its own with a large repertoire. The prelude in a song creates the space in which the singer begins and gives tempo and character — it belongs to the interpretation and is not a mere count-in. Richard Wagner used the term from Lohengrin onward.

Performance practice

In the church service, give a prelude that clearly establishes key, tempo, and melody; the congregation takes up what it last heard, which is why clarity matters more than artistry. In a song, shape the introductory bars in the tempo of the whole and agree the entry with the singer. In the theatre, clarify the transition to the scene and the moment when the curtain rises. Prepare beginnings carefully, since they set the tone for what follows.

Bear in mind that a chorale prelude in the church service has a practical task: it should give the congregation key, tempo, and melody in such a way that the entry succeeds. An artful piece that conceals the melody does not fulfil this purpose; choose it then as an independent piece elsewhere. Well-known examples are the preludes to Lohengrin and Tristan und Isolde. In the hymn tradition, Vorspiel designates the organ prelude before congregational singing.