Whats the name of Chopin's prelude that he wrote in a hotel during a rainstorm when he had tuberculosis?
I need to know this for my music class. Please help
Classical - 3 Answers
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1 :
The "Raindrop" Prelude is Op.28 No.15 in D flat major.
2 :
Just thought I would add some points of interest about the "Raindrop Prelude". According to Legend Chopin composed this while staying in an island monastery off the coast of Majorca. The repeating pattern of 1/8 notes throughout this piece are evocative of the driving rain. It was also said that he was living with George Sand (female) at this abandoned monastery. Not sure if all of the above is factual....you know how legends can be! Hope you will listen to and eventually play the "Raindrop Prelude"; it is very emotional to play/hear. All the best, Julian of N
3 :
All the names for the Chopin etudes and preludes WERE NOT ASSIGNED TO THESE PIECES BY CHOPIN. We know that a number of the preludes were written while Chopin was in Majorca, where he and Georges Sand and her children had traveled to hopefully escape the cold damp Paris winter. All that is certain is Chopin was able to work on SOME preludes. We are not certain which ones. Prelude Op 28, No. 15 in D flat Major is given the name of 'raindrop' because of its moderate tempo repeated pitch eighth notes prominent throught the piece. It sounds rather 'happy' or sweet for a piece supposedly composed under the depressing effect of continual cold damp weather. The piece has a 'sturm und drang' (storm and stress) section which again returns to the main and fairly sweet material which makes up the rest of this piece. The weather was constantly rainy and not a dramatic rainstorm. Mediterranean winter rainy season has a type of rain which is a constant drizzle that runs off the eaves of a building; drip, drip, drip. Continuing drizzling rain running unbroken for days on end is enough to get anyones nerves. Many musicologists think the better candidate to be assigned this (supposed) inspiration of rain is the Prelude op.28, No. 6, in B minor (lento assai). Here, the melody is in the left hand, and the treble has an insistent one-pitch figuration of repeated eighth notes phrased in twos, with an accent on the first of each pair. This treble figure has an obssessive feel and quality, and it can be heard as Drip - drip / Drip - drip / Drip - drip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7j7ziRV_38 ALL the given names for the pieces of the Chopin Opus 28 ARE CORRUPT, which is reason enough not to use them. (Chopin hated all the sentimental affectations which were common in the society and the arts of his day and had no patience for them.) These names, given by editors, critics and the public, are arbitrary, therefore a wild stab at what the composer may or may not have been thinking. They stick because many people are not willing to commit "No. 15 D-flat Major" to memory. The names are not generally used among informed musicians. [[ from the Wikipedia article on Chopin: Chopin himself never named an instrumental work beyond genre and number, leaving all potential extra-musical associations to the listener; the names by which we know many of the pieces were invented by others. ]] This is like one person saying, "I'll call you Sally, because I can't remember your given name." A bit of research about where these names came from, and the continued mistake of the public believing any of the names mean anything or can actually be attributed to one emotion or incident might make a very impressive brief essay for school. best regards
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