1. Area of Study 1: Setwork 3 Chopin Piano Prelude in Db Major (Raindrop)

2. Area of Study 1: Setwork 3 Who was Chopin?

3. Area of Study 1: Setwork 3 Who was Chopin? Born in Poland in 1810 Died in Paris 1849 Virtuoso pianist Romantic composer famous for piano music

4. In 1838 he went to Majorca and ended up staying with his lover in a deserted monastery in a place called Valldemossa.

5. He composed this Prelude inspired by a heavy rainstorm that he could hear dripping on the roof of the monastery This piece was written between 1835 – 1838 as part of a set of 24 preludes.

6. What main info do you need to know about the Chopin piece? Key? Structure? Texture? What is it an example of?

7. What main info do you need to know about the Chopin piece? Key? In the key of Db Major Structure? The structure is ABA form (Ternary form) The B section is in C# Minor Texture? The overall texture is melody and accompaniment (Homophonic) This piece is an example of programme music, which means it describes something.

8. The piano… The piano was really developing in the Romantic era. What clues do we have in the piece of music that point to it being a piece of Romantic piano music?

9. It uses the following Romantic piano techniques: Use of RUBATO – speeds up or slows down very slightly to make it more expressive CANTABILE – the melody is played so that it ‘sings out’ on the piano and uses a smooth sound (LEGATO) Careful use of the pedals on the piano, particularly the sustain pedal on the right.

10. Section A Markings are SOSTENUTO (Sustained) and PIANO (soft) Right hand has the melody Texture is MELODY-DOMINATED HOMOPHONY Main tune starts with 3 notes of the main chord F – Db – Ab falling. A decoration called ACCICCATURA (crushed note) is used

11. Section A (continued) The pedal note used throughout the piece is Ab (the dominant). A new, second theme adds variety. There are some CHROMATIC notes used to make the harmony more interesting (add colour). At the end the Ab becomes written as G#. This is the same note but we call it ENHARMONIC CHANGE. This leads the piece into C# Minor for Section B.

12. Section B In the Key of C# Minor More dramatic and dark in mood (Minor Key) Lower region of the piano used. Homophonic texture throughout Tune is in the left hand with a G# PEDAL NOTE in the right hand. This is called an INVERTED DOMINANT PEDAL Wide range of DYNAMICS used. G# is used at the end as a PIVOT NOTE going back into Db Major.

13. Section A and Codetta The second section A is much shorter than the first. Uses the marking Smorzando, which means ‘dying away’ Short 8 bar CODETTA where the pedal note drops out for 2 bars and then starts up again Ends PIANISSIMO (very quiet) with a PERFECT CADENCE