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Romantic · prelude

Prelude in Op. 28, No. 8

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. 8 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. Quick detail surrounds a slower song

    Rapid upper groups surround a dotted inner line over lower triplet gestures. Listen inside the moving surface for the longer melody.

  2. Changing groups develop the middle

    The middle figures shift their starts and grow stronger before easing. Follow the line through the changing short-note patterns.

  3. Narrower repeated figures change the motion

    The later texture contracts into more repetitive groups. Hear the smaller range alongside changing lower starts.

  4. Motion yields to closing chords

    The last two units replace the running texture with chordal sound and a held arpeggio. Hear the change from activity to arrival.

How to practise it

Keep the thirty-second contour independent from the lower triplet-to-eighth pattern.

  1. Play the C-sharp octave displacement alone, then add the G-sharp/B/A/F-sharp descent in small linked groups.
  2. Tap the three-short-plus-long pattern on one note, then restore the pitches before combining it with the upper stream.

How hard is it

Level 9, estimated

Dense rapid figuration around an embedded melody requires exceptional balance and coordination.

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 8” by F. F. Chopin (1810 to 1849). Mutopia edition maintained by Knute Snortum. Source: https://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/piece-info.cgi?id=2166. 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

Keep the thirty-second contour independent from the lower triplet-to-eighth pattern.

Practise it in PlayPiano