Frédéric Chopin
Prelude
in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4

Each of the 24 Preludes is a miraculous example of Chopin's virtuosity in translating human emotions to piano music. This is one of the most well-known and also one of the saddest: Chopin himself requested that it should be played at his funeral.

ID: 263
Frédéric Chopin - Preludes:

Prelude
Op. 28 No. 4

Key: E Minor
Year: 1834
Level: 5
Period: Early Romantic
piano sheet music Piano score: PS Urtext Download
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piano sheet music Piano score: PS Instructive Edition Download
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piano music mp3 recording Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 - FREE SAMPLE (mp3 file)

Farewell music?

The Prelude in E minor is a one of Chopin's most accessible pieces, but also a musically very sophisticated work. It's a sad and mournful piece, "the languid pensiveness of which defies description. It seems to shut out the wide, noisy world, for a time." (Friedrich Niecks) With its minor key, chromatically descending chords and the fact that it's intended to "die away" as per Chopin's notation, it conveys an almost overwhelming sense of despair. While the notes are few and quite easy to find for the intermediate pianist, the shaping, coloring and pacing of this unique melody is worth a lifetime of study.

Background

Chopin's set of 24 preludes were first published in 1839 and dedicated to the composer Joseph Christoph Kessler. They received quite some criticism for their brief length and lack of any traditional structure; they were seen as more like sketches or brief notes as opposed to fully-formed ideas. However, there were also some, more forward-looking contemporaries, among them Robert Schumann, who admired them intensely. Chopin requested that the E minor prelude should be played at his funeral.


Forum posts about this piece:

Struggling to find my next work by rolvetheprotogen
I'm mostly self taught, and just can't seem to find another work to pursue. So far under my belt I have Moonlight Sonata first movem...

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Dear all, In a few weeks time I have to play the piano for an important 80th birthday however, I can't start learning my music until ab...

on what i should work on? by luk0ss
Hello everyone, i play piano since late january so im pretty much of a begginer. i would like to know what should i improve and on what i sh...

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Hello, This is my first post so I apologize if something isn't formatted correctly. I played the piano when I was younger, and just got ...

Next piano piece by pius02
Hi! I am from Germany and playing since 7 Years and i would say I’m an advanced Player, but i can definitely improve. In recent years ...

CHOPIN Prelude n°4 Op28 by maxnorma
Hello friends, I am a guitarist and I am working on several transcriptions of this magnificent prelude. I listen with attention and a lot of...

Chopin Prelude in E minor | In-depth Tutorial by antune
Hi guys, Here is my new video on Prelude in E minor by [url=www.pianostreet.com/chopin-sheet-music/]F. Chopin[/url]. In this video, I give a...

Chopin's E-Minor Prelude - Analysis by fredviner
Chopin’s 4th prelude in E-minor is one of the composer’s most heart-rending works. It’s also one of his most popular and among the ver...

Nutty Notes - Chopin Prelude in Em - Ab to G# in same bar by lettersquash
I got used to musical notation being "insane" a long time ago, but this just about takes the biscuit. I'm learning Chopin...

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Hi fellow pianists, this is just to introduce myself. Real name John, 59, and returning to studying and practising the piano after about 40 ...

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Hi, im a beginner with less than 1 years of playing (9 months to be exact), below is my recent repertoire (from early 2020): Chopin Waltz in...

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I've been playing piano for a long time but never seriously. I usually looked at people playing then attempted to copy then quit. Thoug...

Introducing myself by lb023
Dear people of this forum, My name is Laurens, I am a 23 year old law student living in the Netherlands. I have been visiting this forum qu...

How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4? by lars_o
I'm working on this prelude and there is this turn in measure 16 which in my (Henle) edition has a double-sharp accidental in parenthes...

24 Préludes, Op. 28: IV. In E Minor - Chopin by aonelas
My teacher just handed me this, I could wait two days and ask him, but I'm getting impatient, and would like to meet the mark he set fo...

Chopin's prelude op 28 no 4 with short choppy chords? by supapiano225
Hi! im learning prelude in e minor op 28 no 4 and my sheet music says no pedal untill measure 16,17 and 18. though without the pedal it does...


Member's recordings of piece:

Chopin Prelude in E minor (Op.28 No.4) by lettersquash
After endless attempts over about a year, this is probably the first time I've got through this piece with little more error than a coup...

Chopin Prelude in E minor by hakki
Hope you enjoy listening. youtu.be/ImZC179JCHs...

Chopin - Prelude in E Minor (Op.28 No.4) by nirav1
hey guys i am working on the chopin prelude in e minor  i would love to hear your opinion about it youtu.be/bnwtQq_NL7w...

Chopin - Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 by quantum
youtu.be/QaMiY47mblM Trying out some different microphone positions.  The bots flagged this as a copyright claim.  Seems to be ...

[VIDEO] Chopin - Prelude in E minor by pianofourty
First time putting a video of my playing here, please be kind! (I know this one has been done a few times, but comments would be welcome -...

Chopin's Prelude No. 4 in E minor, Op. 28 by didlybom
with effects and synth pad www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yyzo9RDf7o...

[Video] Chopin - Prelude in E Minor / e moll op.28 no. 4 by lafo
I never played this before..so i felt it was about time to do so :) For it to be perfect I think the interpreter have to be or was in great ...

Prelude in E minor Op 28 nº 4 - Frederic Chopin by rubanetti
Here i show you my performance of this great piece of Chopin: mpulQ_lJBR0 You can obtain more info in this article (Spanish) rubanetti.wo...

Chopin - Op.28 n.4 by pianist_on_the_ocean
This is a piece that I LOVE but unfortunately some hammers of my piano have to be changed, so I recorded it with all my heart altough the re...

Chopin prelude no.4 opus.28 by thinker2k7
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDa7UTI2wk4 Im an amatuer pianist. I have started and have been playing for almost two years  without a teache...


Members who like this piece have also downloaded:

Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 in E Minor (published in 1834) from Preludes by Frédéric Chopin - piano sheet music to download and print instantly.
Prelude in E Minor - Op. 28 No. 4 is a piano piece by the early romantic composer Frédéric Chopin who lived between the years 1810 and 1849.
The composition was first published in 1834 and is included in Preludes by Chopin.