Chopin: ‘Raindrop’ Prelude No. 15 in D♭

Question 1

Structure

Answer 1

o Ternary Form (ABA):
A - melody has it’s own ABA structure
B - new melody (repeated crotchets)
A - return to opening melody, coda

Question 2

Rhythm

Answer 2

o Septuplets/Dectuplets – 6/10 equal notes fit into 1 beat
o Repeated Quavers – unifying, ‘raindrop’-like
o Dotted Rhythms – lighter feel

Question 3

Metre

Answer 3

o 4/4

Question 4

Tempo

Answer 4

o Sostenuto – ‘sustained’, legato and unhurried
o Rubato – expressive, flexible tempo
o Slentando/Ritenuto – slow down

Question 5

Melody

Answer 5

o Lyrical
o Regular Phrases – 4/8-bars
o Section A – RH (ornaments, dotted rhythms, chromaticism)
o Section B – LH (narrower range, longer notes)
o Ornamentation – grace notes

Question 6

Tonality

Answer 6

o Section A – D♭ major
o Section B – C♯ enharmonic tonic minor
o Imperfect Cadences – A+B
o Perfect Cadences – coda

Question 7

Harmony

Answer 7

o Mainly Diatonic
o Occasional Chromaticism
o Dominant Pedal (A: D♭ major, B: G♯)

Question 8

Texture

Answer 8

o Mainly Homophonic
o Monophonic (2 bars near end)
o Section A:
RH – melody
LH – broken chords
o Section B (more chordal):
RH – repeated quavers (inverted dominant pedal), doubled in octaves
LH – melody (2 parts)

Question 9

Dynamics

Answer 9

o Sotto Voce – playing quietly
o Smorzando – dying away
o No Sudden Contrasts – diminuendos, crescendos
o Wide Range – pianissimo, fortissimo (especially Section B)

Question 10

Instrumentation

Answer 10

o Piano
o Range – middle and lower
o Style – legato (sustaining pedal) and singing (cantabile), not virtuosic