About this Piece

For Frédéric Chopin, preludes were not precursors to larger works—they were small pieces, typically between 30 seconds and five minutes, that could stand on their own and had a distinct mood and melodic arc. Chopin completed 26 preludes in his lifetime. The first, later deceivingly labeled No. 26, was composed in 1834 and, at around a minute long, flies by with assured momentum. From 1836 to 1839, Chopin composed his best-known preludes, Opus 28: a set of 24 preludes covering every key signature, beginning in a C-major storm that echoes the gusto and brevity of his first and culminating in a glimmering, D-minor Allegro appassionato.

Two years after the publication of Opus 28, Chopin composed his final prelude, in C-sharp minor, Opus 45. Unlike the previous works, which can shade and preface one another when played as a set, Opus 45 stands alone—its solitude enhancing a dreamlike, somber tone. Chopin composed it in 1841 in Nohant, France, during a prolific summer that saw the composition of his Ballade in A-flat major, the Opus 48 Nocturnes, and the Fantasy in F minor.

The piece creeps along wistfully like a rivulet, its chromatic ebbs making subtle tides. When he sent the score to the publisher, Chopin modestly labeled it “well modulated.” With each of Chopin’s Opus 28 preludes rooted strongly in (or at least identified by) its key signature, it’s noticeable how unmoored Opus 45 is from C-sharp minor. The left hand slinks into new keys so slyly and gracefully that it never disturbs or disorients the listener. The right hand peppers in gentle chords and legato phrases, following its rebellious counterpart. The cadenza disrupts the flow and frantically unravels—a sudden whirlpool before the somber calm returns, flickers, and fades.

—Tess Carges