Prelude No. 15 Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the instrumentation

A

Piano
Most of the prelude is in the lower/middle register of the piano.
Chopin concentrates on creating a legato sound rather than showing off what the piano can do.
Lots of use of the sustain pedal helps to achieve a legato sound.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Structure

A

Ternary form: A B A (with a little coda)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Time sig

A

4/4 or C

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Rhythm

A

4 crotchet beats in a bar.
Interesting septuplet bars 4 and 23 (seven notes in the space of one beat)
Dectuplet in bar 79 (10 notes)
Played legato (smoothly)
Rubato (flexible tempo for expressive effect. Play some bits quicker and then some slower)
Repeated quavers – throughout the piece
Melody begins with a dotted rhythm (repeated throughout)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Tonality and Harmony

A

Section A = Db major. Mainly diatonic harmony with a bit of chromaticism.
Section B = C# minor, which is the tonic minor.
Section A = back to Db major.
Dominant pedal throughout. (Section A this is an Ab, Section B is a G#)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Cadences

A

A and B end with an imperfect cadence.

Prelude ends with a perfect cadence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Genre

A
One of 24 preludes written by Chopin.
Likely to be performed in a small space (home, recital room, small concert hall)
Romantic music in general:
More expressive and emotional.
Rich, chromatic harmonies.
Modulations became more adventurous.
Technical advances in instruments.
Programme music (descriptive)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the main texture?

A

Homophonic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is the texture like in different sections?

A

Section A: melody in right hand, broken chord in left hand.
Section B: melody in the left hand. Repeated quavers in the right hand (dominant pedal*) Pedal is inverted, which just means it’s played in the top part. More chordal than section A.
Section A: back to the opening texture. 2 bars of monophonic texture in the coda.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Melody

A

Starts with a lyrical melody in the right hand.
Decorated with ornaments (acciaccatura and a turn)
Melody features dotted rhythms and chromaticism.
Section B – melody moves to the bass. Narrower range of notes and made up of some longer notes.
Mostly made up of four and eight bar phrases.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Musical features

A

Careful expressive use of pedals particularly the sustaining
pedal; SOSTENUTO 􀂱 sustained
ACCIACATURA - ‘crushing note’ melodic decoration
PEDAL NOTE - A flat (enharmonic G#)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Pitch

A

Keyboard range is moderate and
keeps to the stave with a few ledger
line notes. The top note is B flat.
Lower pitch is used in Section B.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Dynamics

A

P, Wider range in Section B

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Tempo

A

Use of RUBATO (pull back or speed up the tempo to show expression)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Name some related composers

A

Beethoven; Rossini;Tchaikovsky; Berlioz; Franz Liszt

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

be able to fill in notes into a melody

A

..