Description
With its melody laid in the left hand's low register, singing with the deep sound of a solo cello, this is among the most inward pieces in Chopin's 24 Preludes, Op. 28. It is the sixth, and along with the fourth it is said to have been played on the organ at Chopin's funeral in 1849. When the set is heard whole, it occupies something like a silence between the brighter preludes on either side.
In B minor and triple time, melody below and chords above reverse the usual arrangement, the right hand merely marking chords quietly. Only about 400 notes fill a minute and a half, and the motion is unhurried throughout.
Making the left hand sing is the whole of it. Most players are accustomed to singing with the right, and a melody in the left tends to come out flat. Hold the right-hand chords right back so that only the left is heard. Low notes decay slowly, so how long each is held changes the expression considerably.
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. 6 in B minor. The melody lies low in the left hand while the right hand only marks chords above - the reverse of the usual layout. The lesson is singing with the left hand, like a cello.
How to practise it
- Follow only the left-hand colour, and practise until the left hand alone can sing the melody.
- Hold the right-hand chords right back, until the left-hand melody is clearly heard.
- Low notes ring for a long time. Check how long each one is held in the falling notes, and do not cut them short.
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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