The préludes were composed in 1909 and 1910, in the middle of the period in which he wrote the opera Pénélope, barcarolles Nos. 8–11 and nocturnes Nos. 9–11.
Os preludios foron compostos entre 1909 e 1910, na metade do período no que tamén compuxo a ópera Pénélope, as barcarolas números 8-11 e os nocturnos números 9-11.