Description
A figure plunging from the top of the keyboard, answered by a brief mazurka-like reply in chords: these two gestures, alternating, are all this miniature is made of. The tenth of the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, it lasts about twenty-five seconds; it is among the shortest in the set and, heard within the cycle, passes like a momentary aside.
The descent comes four times in all, in C-sharp minor and triple time, each one followed by its chordal answer. At the end the falling figure is cut off partway.
Playing the descents evenly and lightly is what earns the intermediate rating. Forced, the notes stumble and the fall turns muddy; keep the fingers close to the keys and let the arm move the hand along. Set the answering chords in a different colour from the descent, and the difference between the two gestures turns the miniature into a dialogue.
A set of 24 short pieces Chopin composed in 1838-39, covering all 24 keys, each with its own distinct character — a poetic cycle for piano.
Browse all songs in 24 Preludes Op.28 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849)
Frederic Chopin was born in Poland and made his career in Paris, remaining unusual among great composers for writing almost exclusively for piano. He poured his longing for his homeland into mazurkas and polonaises, while his ballades and etudes combine poetic melody with harmonic innovation. This site includes the "Revolutionary" and other etudes, Ballades No. 1 and No. 4, nocturnes, and the Preludes, Op. 28.
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