Chopin

• What is the time signature?• Can you describe the dynamics?• Is this in a major or minor key?• Which instruments are being used?

Prelude no. 15 in Db majorThe ‘raindrop’ prelude

Chopin

Section B question

• In the Year 10 exam this will be one of the section B questions

• For section B, you will not hear any extracts• You will be asked to describe features of the

music in essay form

• Today: learn key facts• Next lesson: practise a section B question

Chopin – Prelude no. 15 in Db major

• This is known as the ‘raindrop’ prelude• Why?• The piece is written for piano• It is in ternary form: ABA• There is also a short coda at the end

Section A (bars 1-27) Db majorSection B (28-75) C# minorSection A (76-81) Db majorCoda (81-89) Db major

Db and C# are the same note. The word is

‘enharmonic’Db major is the tonic note (first note in the scale). C# minor is the

tonic minor

Chopin – Prelude no. 15 in Db major

Section A - What to notice in the opening bars

P – the dynamics are soft (piano)

Repeated Ab in the left hand. This is called a ‘pedal’

First 3 notes outline a Db triad

Sostenuto - sustained Ascending melodyCrescendo and diminuendo

Septuplet (an ornament which has been written out in full)

Ornament: acciaccatura

Chopin – Prelude no. 15 in Db major

Section A - continued

P – the dynamics are still soft (piano)

OrnamentMelody moves by step

Still Db major

Briefly changes to Ab minor

Chopin – Prelude no. 15 in Db major

Section B – Key changes to C# minor

Sotto voce – in an undertone

Key has changed to the tonic minor: C# minor

The pedal note is played in the right hand and is now G#

Section B continued• The melody is now played in the bass part • In bar 35, Chopin starts to build up the texture by doubling the

‘raindrop’ in octaves.• Dynamics: build gradually until bar 43 where the music drops

down to p. It then builds up to ff (fortissimo) in bar 56. There are accents used in bars 40-43 and 56-59. This is quite a contrast to Section A which was p all the way through and no accents.

• In bars 60-63 the melody is similar to the start of Section B but the note lengths have been augmented (made longer). This feels slow and heavy.

• Although this section is in C# minor, Chopin explores other keys: G# minor and F# minor.

• The last four quavers of bar 75 prepare for the key change back to Db.

• After section B, the opening bars of section A are played again. This is followed by a coda.

Chopin – Prelude no. 15 in Db major

The Ab pedal (or dominant pedal)

This Bb is f (played loudly) and is the highest note in the piece

No left hand for two bars

The music becomes quieter . The final marking is pp