F.

Chopin

The Piano

A period of music from 1810 1900 where emotions

During the 19th century,

the sustain and soft pedals
were developed to allow
the performers to play
more expressively.

such as love, grief, joy and death were intensely

Piano Prelude No.15 in D flat major,

Op. 28 (1838)
Romantic Period

expressed.
Classical features

Wide range of feelings expressed.

Longer melody lines being developed.

Freedom of structure and form.

Popular use of extended chords.

Often chromatic harmony with dissonances to

The Preludes
The preludes are a set of 24 preludes and the set work is one of those
preludes. The set work, No.15 is commonly known as Raindrop.

portray strong emotion.

Preludes often come before another piece whereas Chopins preludes are

Wide variety of dynamic contrasts (pppp ).

Links to other art forms programme music.

More virtuosic (high skill level needed).

Expansion of the orchestra.

Development of the piano.

Raindrop was written during a storm and the title relates to the
constant dripping of rain that can be heard in the repetitive A flats
(heard in the A section) and G sharps (heard in the B section). These are

Use of rubato (moving the beat around).

the dominant notes of the keys and are repeated throughout.

The piece falls loosely in to TERNARY form

Structure
( ABA ) although the sections are quite unbalanced.

B Section
(28-75) C sharp minor

A section (76-81)

Right hand has melody throughout

Left hand plays the light raindrop

dominant pedal (Ab).

Homophonic texture throughout

Pedal used to ensure the legato

cantabile melody line (smooth).

Lots of rubato (pushing forward and

pulling back the tempo).

Use of perfect cadences.

Interesting use of ornaments with

acciaccaturas and sextuplets

Modulates to dominant key of A flat

major.

Moves into the RELATIVE ENHARMONIC

MINOR KEY. Db and C# are the same note.
Longer and more dramatic section. The light
raindrops seem to have turned in to a storm.
Most of the melody is in the left hand with the
dominant repeating G# pedal in the right
hand. Often played in octaves.

Homophonic texture with a fuller sound than

A section.

Starts quiet but builds to and has more

variety.

Modulates to dominant key of G sharp minor.

Helpful exam hints

-

Are you able to find examples of the playing techniques such as use of pedal, legato, rubato?

Short restatement of
opening

D flat major.

Suddenly stops.

Ornament extended.

Codetta (81-89)
-

Single monophonic
line to start with
high B flat.

Tonic and
dominant chords
and perfect
cadence.

Ends very quietly

and slows down.

Melody and pedal

note heard.

Are you able to explain what the right hand and left hands are doing at any particular point? Are you
able to describe the dynamics?

The second A section

is much shorter than the first A section. There is a codetta (short coda) at the end.

A Section (1-27) D flat major

- Sostenuto (sustained) and piano
(soft).

stand alone pieces.