The piece is one page, but it’s one of the most stunning and heartwrenching pieces ever written. It just wants to find rest on E, but the left-hand harmony, built of inversions, can’t find rest either. There are a couple mixed in here and there, but the chords in these positions aren’t quite resting points either.Īdditionally, the bass also descends throughout the course of each half of the piece the entire work encompasses a sensation of falling.
A glance at the left hand shows there aren’t any root position chords until the end. First and second inversions, however, want to move forward until they find a settled root position chord. Root position chords tend to feel settled where they are. If we look a little deeper at the chords underlying the melody, we uncover another layer of beauty in this piece, based upon Chopin’s clever use of inversions.Ī rule of thumb in adding chords is to remember that the higher the inversion number, the more forward momentum a chord has. Harmony of Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor, Op. I’ve watched this video numerous times, and that part always leaves me in tears. When he’s ready to play it in earnest, he asks the audience to think about someone they’ve recently lost. What I love about Zander’s analysis and performance of the Prelude in E Minor is that he explains the complexity of this piece in a way that everyone can understand. After a couple more “failed attempts” at finding the chord we want, we start to lose hope that we’re ever going to make it home.īut then, once we’ve gotten to that sense of hopelessness, Chopin gives us a perfect authentic cadence right where we want it. Then, it goes back up to F to reset for another try on E, and that chord’s not right either. Chopin writes a stunning turn to bring us back up to B and starts the piece all over.Ĭhopin repeats the beginning verbatim until he adds a lot more fancy turns that wind their way back down to the F we got stuck on before, and then, Chopin finally allows us to hear the E, but it’s on the wrong chord! It’s a deceptive cadence, so we’re not satisfied yet. Zander then walks the melody down to F and asks the audience what comes next, and they sing an E!īut that’s not what Chopin does here. Not only does the melody sound sad in and of itself, it also references a tradition of somber music.
He says, “the job of the C is to make the B sad.” These alternating scale steps 5 and 6 are traditionally associated with grief, coming from use of the Phrygian mode in the Renaissance. It’s a B and a C alternating and then walking down toward E. He focuses on the melody, so simple when you look at it. Zander introduces this prelude to the audience and uses it as a tool to show that classical music can touch everyone. To sum up this part of the video for those who can’t watch it, Dr. posth.Analysis of the Melody in Chopin’s Prelude in E Minor, Op. It includes easy pieces by many of the most famous composers of piano music.Īll works appear in their original form and are not arranged or simplified in any way.Įach volume includes tried and tested fingering and no awkward page turns.
The series Easy Piano Pieces and Dances offers first repertoire books for young players. This mosaic of easy miniatures can enliven piano lessons at an early stage by offering the pupil a valuable insight into the variety and richness of Chopin's music. This collection contains the loveliest and easiest-to-play of Chopin's pieces and dances for piano.īesides well-known works which the pianist will not want to miss, there are also charming seldom-heard rarities to be discovered. Chopin Easy Piano Pieces and Dances Chopin