Chopin- Prelude In Db Minor 'Raindrop Prelude'

Question 0

Genre

Answer 0

Romantic

Short piano piece

Question 1

Date of composition

Answer 1

1838

Question 2

Genre stylistics

Answer 2

Depicts an image

Rubato- robbing time

Question 3

Metre

Answer 3

4/4

Question 4

Tempo

Answer 4

‘Sostenute’- sustained, at a relaxed pace

Question 5

Rhythm

Answer 5

Rubato

Question 6

Structure

Answer 6

Ternary form- ABA

Two outer sections based on the same idea, with a contrasting middle section

Question 7

Section A

Answer 7

Db major
Melody in the right hand
Top layer chordal accompaniment 
Light texture- more sparse
Long than the second A section

Question 8

Section B

Answer 8

C# minor
Melody is less obvious- in the lower layer of the right hand
Fast moving
Thick texture
Lower pitched chords
Double octaves
On the beat rhythms
Driving
Step wise

Question 9

Section A2

Answer 9

Db major

Shorter than the first A section

Question 10

Coda section

Answer 10

Short section
Brings the piece to a close
The pedal stops with long cadences

Question 11

Harmony

Answer 11

Db major and C# minor (enharmonic equivalents)
C# minor is the tonic minor of Db major
Ab pedal note- repeated note throughout the piece

Question 12

Section A (melody)

Answer 12

Long, lyrical, elegant melody
Falling broken chords followed by a descending scale (drop in pitch represents sadness/ falling rain)
Dotted quaver semi quaver rhythms make the melody feel light

Question 13

Section B (melody)

Answer 13

Plodding melody, moves by step
Mainly in the baseline
Lots of climaxes
Grace notes (acciacaturas- tiny notes squeezed in)

Question 14

Texture

Answer 14

Homophonic (melody+accompaniment)

1 bar long monophonic section

Question 15

Section A (texture)

Answer 15

Sparse texture
Melody accompanied by broken chords
Very delicate

Question 16

Section B (texture)

Answer 16

Fuller texture
Full chords
Lower pitch of the piano
At times full chords in both hands
Pedal note is high pitched in the texture then in the middle
Huge climaxes- romantic passion+ storm

Question 17

Instrumentation

Answer 17

Piano- with a sustain pedal
Legato touch
Cantabile style (singing style)

Question 18

How is the expression of the piece conveyed?

Answer 18

Rubato- robbing time
Sostenuto- sustained
Sotto voce- 'under the voice' whisper
Smorzando- dying away
Ped.- foot pedal on the piano
Detailed use of dynamics
Ornamentation- acciacatura (trill)

Question 19

Tonality

Answer 19

Db major
C# minor -enharmonic equivalent
Db major

Question 20

Pedal note

Answer 20

Ab, G#

Question 21

Inner pedal

Answer 21

Middle

Question 22

Pedal

Answer 22

Bottom

Question 23

Outer

Answer 23

Top

Question 24

Types of chords

Answer 24

Extended
Altered
Cluster
Suspended