Description
Both hands in octave unison race through this ominous piece, a texture that recalls the finale of Chopin's Second Sonata. The fourteenth of the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, it has one of the darkest sounds in the collection and is over in under thirty seconds.
There is neither melody nor chord: the hands play the same triplet figuration throughout, in E-flat minor and common time. It never leaves the lower register, so the sound stays dark, and at the end it rises and is cut off abruptly. The four-octave span sits almost entirely at or below the middle of the keyboard.
For an intermediate piece it is exacting about precision: the hands must stay exactly together, since the smallest discrepancy is heard as blur. Put alignment ahead of speed, finishing each hand evenly before combining them. It also asks for the restraint to hold the dynamic down and keep the menace to the last bar.
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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