Chopin RevisionPIANO PRELUDE NO. 15 IN D FLAT MAJOR OP. 28

Essay Question- Instruments

•One instrument- the piano

•Sustaining and soft pedals use a lot

•Large range (7 octaves) good for virtuosic sections and cadenzas

Essay Question- Structure

•Ternary Form

•Section A, Section B, return to A, Coda

•Section brings change of mood- minor and like a storm

Essay Question- dynamics•A sections are quiet

•B section, dynamics are much louder

•Dynamics signal the climax of the piece (ff in bar 56)

•Coda is marked smorzando (“dying away”) to show coming to the end

Essay Question- Texture

•Homophonic texture- melody in right hand accompanied by chords in left hand A (swaps over in section B)

•Piano pedal used for sustained notes

•Section B- much thicker chords, use of octaves in both hands

•Repeated note throughout (A flats – like raindrops)

Essay Question- Melody

•Melody Section A in right hand, Slow and held back tempo

•Melody in section B is in the left hand (crotchets in the bass part)

much more dramatic.

•Cantabile (in a singing style), legato (smooth) playing

•First three notes are descending- like raindrops

•Ornaments and turns

Essay Question- Harmony/Tonality

•Section A - D flat major

•Section B- C Sharp Minor (the tonic minor)

•Repeated A flat/G sharp quaver- represents raindrops

Chopin- Background

•Chopin was a composer in the Romantic Era (1800-1900)

•Chopin was born in Poland in 1810

•He composed a lot of piano music, a talented but tragic figure

•Died young at the age of 39

•The Raindrop Prelude was written in 1838

Test: Melody

Write 5 comments about melody

Test: Harmony and Tonality

Write 3 comments about harmony and tonality

Test: Texture

Write 4 comments about texture

Test: Structure

Write 3 comments about structure

Test: Instruments

Write 3 comments about instruments

Test: Background

What era was Chopin from? And what are the dates for this era?

When was Chopin born?

When was Prelude number 15 (The Raindrop), written?