Description
The best known of the 24 Preludes, Op. 28. The set was completed during the winter Chopin spent on Majorca in 1838–39, and George Sand, who was with him, left an account of him writing at the monastery on a rainy day; the repeated note running through the piece gave rise to the nickname "Raindrop." Chopin himself never endorsed it.
In D-flat major and common time, a single repeated note is struck evenly throughout while a calm theme sings above it. The middle section turns to C-sharp minor — the same sounds read as a minor key — and the repeated note moves into the bass, sounding heavily as the music builds towards something like a storm. The opening theme then returns and the piece closes quietly, after about four and a half minutes.
It is rated intermediate, but the whole task is the handling of that repeated note. Struck several hundred times, it grows dull if it turns mechanical and covers the melody if it grows loud. Vary its weight slightly with the harmony and keep it always beneath the melody. The contrast between the heavy middle section and the quiet on either side is what makes the drama.
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
What this piece teaches
Prelude Op. 28 No. 15 in D-flat major, the "Raindrop". A repeated note sounds throughout while a calm theme sings above it. The middle section turns to C-sharp minor, and the repeated note moves into the bass as the music builds heavily.
How to practise it
- Keep the repeated note always beneath the melody. Varying its weight slightly with the harmony keeps it from turning mechanical.
- Treat the middle section as a separate piece and loop it with A-B. The contrast between its build and the quiet either side is the drama of the piece.
- Check the pedal changes in the pedal indicators. Changing where the harmony changes keeps the repeated note clear.
- At about four and a half minutes it is a long piece. Logging your sessions in the practice journal shows the progress and keeps you going.
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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