Here is my interpretation of Frédéric Chopin's Prelude op. 28 no. 20 in C minor (1839).
Chopin composed a set of 24 preludes in all major and minor keys between 1835 and 1839. Although the prelude was already well-known in the 19th century as a short, introductory compositional form, Chopin reinvented it by liberating his Preludes from their introductory purpose. In fact, contrary to most preludes composed before Chopin (such as J.S. Bach's, for example), Chopin's Preludes are independent pieces. Today, Chopin's set of Preludes (op. 28) is considered to be one of the finest pieces of classical music ever composed due to the very large range of emotions which it evokes, its depth, its wittiness, and its originality. Some of the Preludes are surprisingly far ahead of Chopin's time in terms of compositional style and elaboration.
This prelude is a fascinating study in how the same theme can convey completely different moods. The evocative power of this Prelude is all the more impressive that it is only 13 bars long. Only made of chords, the Prelude starts in a very confident, broad, even pompous manner with a dense texture. Then, the theme is repeated in a much lower and simpler fashion, thereby leaning towards regret and melancholy. Finally, just like a distant but sweet echo of the past, the theme is repeated a second time even more softly, as the countermelody reminiscent of the first section can be heard more clearly.
15 сен 2024
