Chopin: Prelude No. 15 in Db (Raindrop) (1839, romantic)

Texture:

• Homophonic
• Piano played by 2 hands – 2 part texture
• Very chordal and rich
• Expressive dynamics typical of era
• Large span of dynamics
• Monophonic texture for 2 bars (82-83(
• Ends pianissimo

Harmony:

• Diatonic, in Db major
• Section A: dominant pedal throughout (repeated quaver Ab), chromatic notes to colour harmony, modulation to Ab major (dominant) in section A confirmed with a perfect cadence, change in tonality to Ab minor, change in tonality to Bbm (relative minor of home key), ends in Db (tonic key)
• Section B: repeated Ab used as pivot note to modulate to C# minor
• Coda: tonic to dominant relationship in the final bars

Instrumentation:

• Solo piano
• Limited tessitura (range)
• Careful use of pedalling to sustain notes
• Rubato playing
• Cantabile legato (smooth and like singing)

Rhythm:

• 4/4 time signuature
• No tempo marked but generally played at moderate speed for cantabile legato effect
• Rubato throughout to “steal time”, performer flexible with tempo to be more expressive
• Augmentation in section B
• Slows down towards the end

Melody:

• Acciaccatura in bar 4
• Septuplet in bar 4 (7 semiquavers in the space of 4)
• Melody moves to left hand for section b, and is low in pitch
• Climatic top Bb in Coda, the highest note of the work

Form:

• Ternary form – 3 sections unbalanced in length
• A: 27 bars, B: 47 bars, A3: 6 bars + 8 bar coda