Prelude in Op. 28, No. 17

History

PTNA's account places the beginnings of some Op. 28 preludes around 1836 and reports completion of the collection in Mallorca in 1838. The autograph collection was sent to Paris in January 1839, and publication followed in 1839. This is a history of the set, not evidence that every prelude began on the island.

Sources

• enc.piano.or.jp
• repozytorium.nifc.pl

What to listen for

1. 1

   Repeated chords prepare a sustained song

   The introduction establishes the pulse before the long upper line enters. Hear the song continue through its changing inner support.

2. 2

   The song returns more fully

   The upper melody comes back with a fuller response. Compare its shape with the first entry.

3. 3

   Held responses prepare the quiet recall

   Repeated chord tones and sustained replies lead toward later opening-related material. Hear their connecting direction.

4. 4

   The closing phrase extends its held sound

   The last phrase broadens into sustained upper sound before the final chord. Listen through the lower movement to the longer release.

How to practise it

Shape the repeated opening before balancing the added voice

1. Keep the compound pulse through repeated notes
2. Keep the added voice beneath the longer line

How hard is it

About this piece

Collection

The prelude gallery

Licence

Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

Source

mutopiaproject.org

Credit

“Prélude 17” by F. F. Chopin (1810 to 1849). Mutopia edition maintained by Knute Snortum. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=2190. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Changes to the supplied file: none; any later conversion or edit must be disclosed separately.

More by Frédéric Chopin

1. 1Prelude in A major, Op. 28 No. 7Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
2. 2Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Level 7, estimatedWith Maestro
3. 3Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52Level 10, estimatedWith Maestro