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Romantic · prelude

Prelude in Op. 28, No. 18

Frédéric Chopin · Level 9, estimated · With Maestro

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The short answer

A prelude in a collection shaped over several years. Prelude in Op. 28, No. 18 is a prelude by Frédéric Chopin from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 9, an estimate.

On this page
  • prelude
  • Romantic
  • stormy

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

What to listen for

  1. Matching flourishes lead to a broader run

    Two related opening flourishes receive held answers before expansion. Hear the quick gestures connect to their longer responses.

  2. Accented chords interrupt high descents

    Chordal attacks punctuate successive falling figures. Listen for their contrasting length within the larger phrase.

  3. A descending scale leads into trill-related sound

    The long fall changes staff before the ornamented response. Follow the strand across the notation placement without concatenating output alternatives.

  4. A low note precedes a delayed upper answer

    The short lower response leaves room before the upper reply and held final chord. Hear that timing contrast within the ending.

How to practise it

Let the sixteenth burst land on its long F before adding the lower answer.

  1. Practise the run into F and stop there for its full hold; add E only when the arrival is settled.
  2. Count the lower rests while singing the upper run, then enter the first lower sonority without shortening F.

How hard is it

Level 9, estimated

Recitative-like outbursts and rapid gestures require accurate coordination and convincing dramatic timing.

About this piece

Interpretive sketch of Frédéric Chopin, an illustration and not a verified likeness
An illustration, not a portrait
Collection
The prelude gallery
Licence
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
Source
mutopiaproject.org
Credit
“Prélude 18” by F. F. Chopin (1810 to 1849). Mutopia edition maintained by Knute Snortum. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=2191. 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. Prelude in A major, Op. 28 No. 7Level 5, estimatedWith Maestro
  2. Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Level 7, estimatedWith Maestro
  3. Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52Level 10, estimatedWith Maestro

With Maestro

Play it, slow it down, hear where you land

Let the sixteenth burst land on its long F before adding the lower answer.

Practise it in PlayPiano