Description
Played on the organ at Chopin's funeral in 1849, reportedly at his own request, the fourth of the 24 Preludes, Op. 28 is among the best known in the set. The nickname "Suffocation" is not Chopin's: it is one of the titles Hans von Bülow later attached to the individual preludes.
The right hand repeats notes within a very narrow compass and the melody barely moves. What drives this E minor music in cut time is the left hand, where a single note inside an otherwise static chord sinks by a semitone at a time, and that unstoppable chromatic descent creates the weight. Near the end the music rises once in agitation before two chords cut it off.
Light on the fingers, the piece nonetheless slips easily into monotony. The key is the left hand: not merely keeping the chords even, but hearing which voice is falling and following that line. The right hand is better kept quiet than made to sing, and the tempo is better left largely alone.
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
The Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 in E minor, the usual first Chopin at intermediate level. Under a spare right-hand melody, left-hand chords repeat, shifting a note at a time: control in keeping them even and quiet, and a first taste of Romantic expression.
How to practise it
- Play the left-hand chords alone and find which note changes each time. Leaning very slightly on it brings out the shifting harmony.
- With so few notes in the right hand, the colour of each one matters.
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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