Raindrop Prelude - Chopin

Question 1

Time signature

Answer 1

4/4

4 crotchets per bar

Question 2

Tempo

Answer 2

Sostenuto - suggests relaxed pace

rubato - borrowed time

Question 3

Instrumentation

Answer 3

Piano – with a sustain pedal.
This piece needs a legato touch / cantabile (singing style)
Typical of Romantic music.

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

Ternary form (ABA) with a coda and a basic ABA structure within section A. 
NOTE: Stand alone prelude

Question 5

Texture

Answer 5

Homophonic/ Melody and Accompaniment

Question 6

Typical features of romantic music (extremes)

Answer 6

Extremes
– length of work
- numbers of instruments / huge orchestras
- number of instruments means we can have more extreme dynamics (ffff - pppp)
- pitch of instruments

Question 7

Other romantic composers

Answer 7

Tchaikovsky

Wagner

Question 8

Section A

Answer 8

Key is D flat major
Melody in right hand
Texture is melody dominated homophony
First three notes are falling in a broken chord
The harmony uses a constant peddle on the dominant (a flat)
Acciaccatura is used
Chromatic notes used to make harmony more interesting
By end of section, the A flat is known as G#, an enharmonic change used to lead into section B

Question 9

Section B

Answer 9

The key goes to C# minor (enharmonic change)
The dynamics written contain lots of crescendos
Melody played in left hand
The harmony uses an inverted dominant peddle as peddle note is in right hand
An obvious change in mood
Texture is chordal
The G# is used as the pivot to take piece back to D flat major

Question 10

Section A and Codetta

Answer 10

Section A repeated but shorter
Key returns to D flat major
The melody uses smorzando
The tempo is slow and rubato is used
There is a ritt at the end of the piece
Texture is both monophonic and homophonic
The Codetta is 8 bars long
Peddle note drops out for 3 bars them starts again
Dynamics at end are pianissimo 
The piece ends on a perfect cadence

Question 11

What is a perfect cadence?

Answer 11

Fifth to first

Question 11

Written in what year?

Answer 11

1838

Question 12

Main themes of Romantic music

Answer 12

love, death, tragedy, fantasy, nature, folklore

Question 13

Typical features of Romantic music

Answer 13

Huge emphasis on melody
Piano pedal
Less focus on formality
Less emphasis on balance and more on freedom of expression. 
Rubato (‘robbing time’)

Question 14

Melody

Answer 14

A section: Long, lyrical, elegant melody. Opening phrase in section A starts with a falling broken chord (or arpeggio) then a descending scale.
Use of dotted quaver semiquaver rhythms makes the melody feel light.

B section: plodding melody. Mainly in bassine – moves mainly by step.
Lots of climaxes.

Use of grace notes (acciaccaturas – tiny notes squeezed in quickly).

Question 15

Expressions

Answer 15

Sostenuto – sustained
Sotto voce – literally ‘under the voice’ – meaning whisper
Smorzando – dying away
Slentando – becoming broader
Ped.(sustain pedal) – use of foot pedal on piano

Question 16

General info:

Answer 16

Chopin was ill with TB and was advised to travel to a warmer climate (Majorca) to improve his condition. It rained the whole time Chopin was there - prompted the raindrop and melancholy feel.