Description
What holds the interest here is less the melody than the left hand moving ceaselessly beneath it. The twenty-first of the 24 Preludes, Op. 28, it lasts over two and a half minutes and is placed among the set's violent closing pieces to secure time for song.
The right hand sings calmly in long values while the left holds one figure and repaints only the harmony under it, a little at a time, in B-flat major and triple time. The piece advances by changing the ground beneath a melody that barely changes, so the same tune is seen again and again in a different colour.
The challenge lies in the left hand; with no fast motion the piece is rated intermediate. Hold a constant figure while following the harmonic turns by ear and shading only those. Play it mechanically and the melody grows dull; move it about and the song collapses. The right hand should hold its notes fully and never hurry.
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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