Description
Over almost in a single breath, in a little more than thirty seconds, this is among the briefest of Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28 — a set of miniatures of about a minute each. As No. 5, its bright D major is set between minor-key neighbours so that it flashes for a moment and is gone.
In 3/8, fine figuration interlocks between the hands while deliberately blurring where the beat falls. No melody comes to the surface; the flow of notes is itself the piece. Nearly 460 notes are packed in, a high density.
Rated intermediate, it grows harder the faster it goes. Lose track of where the hands interlock and the texture muddies until nothing is legible. Finish each hand evenly on its own, and when combining them take only the downbeat as the cue. Keep the dynamic low throughout: a flickering lightness is what suits it.
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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