It is a marvel with what expressive range Frédéric Chopin composed his 24 preludes and fugues. Of course, it was an exercise in creating works in each of the major and minor keys, as Bach had done, but Chopin was able to create a world apart, unique from the others, in each piece. The feel, mood and energy of each prelude and its subsequent fugue is unmatched. They feel like mini-scores to award-winning movies.
Franz Liszt described Chopin’s music as “compositions of an order entirely apart” and “poetic preludes.” The longest of Chopin’s preludes is the “Raindrop,” Op. 28, No. 15, while his C Minor Prélude, Op. 28, No. 20, is one of the shortest. Originally, it was written with two short sections containing four measures each, but Chopin later added a repeat of the final section at a softer dynamic, lengthening the piece from eight measures to thirteen.
The C Minor Prélude is a cascading crochet of majestic chords in the right hand set against octaves descending chromatically in the left hand. The melody is presented boldly and loudly and with a slow gravity in the first line. In the subsequent two lines, it softens, unwinds in intensity, and echoes until it concludes. Its slow, four-four time signature, containing mostly quarter notes with the often dotted rhythm on the third beat, creates a solemn, processional feel. It is no wonder that it was nicknamed “the Funeral March” by Hans von Bülow.
I love the way Jane Stirling, who was one of Chopin’s students later in life, described Prélude No. 20 in a letter to Chopin’s sister. Stirling wrote: “under Chopin’s fingers, the chords of this Prelude sounded more like heavenly music than like sounds from this world.” Thus, she called it “La Prière,” or “The Prayer.”