Chopin: Prelude (Raindrop) Op. 28 No. 15 in D-flat Major
Piano Sheet Music to Download and Print or to View in Mobile Devices
ID:274 Frédéric Chopin - Preludes :Prelude (Raindrop), Op. 28 No. 15 |
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| Key: D-flat Major | Year: 1834 (publ. -) | |
| Level: 7 | Period: Early Romantic | |
 Piano score: PS Urtext (83 kB) | ||
| Piano score: Autograph manuscript (1212 kB) | ||
 Prelude (Raindrop) Op. 28 No. 15 - FREE SAMPLE (mp3 file) | ||
A beautiful dream turns into a nightmare...
The Prelude op 20 no 15, one of Chopin’s 24 Preludes in every major and minor key, is a miraculous example of Chopin’s amazing virtuosity in translating human emotions to piano music. It is better known as the Raindrop Prelude, due to the repeating A-flat that appears throughout the piece and sounds like raindrops to many listeners.Within this rather short piece - even if it is one of the longest of the preludes - Chopin manages to build up two entirely different atmospheres, using the same obsessively repeated note. The C-sharp minor section begins rather suddenly in measure 28, and with it the piece changes from something peaceful and serene into something much darker. Listeners and music historians have likened it to a beautiful dream that turns into an oppressive nightmare, which is a very appropriate description for this work. The feeling of uneasiness present in the middle part is made even stronger by the serene calm and beauty of the first 27 measures. The first theme is reintroduced towards the end of the prelude, giving it a peaceful ending. The repeating A-flat (written as G-sharp in the middle, ominous section) never stops throughout the piece.
