Preludes No. 12 - 19 by Fryderyk Chopin

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes Fryderyk Chopin's Opus 28, his Preludes No. 12-19. Preludes were improvised or written by composers of the romantic period to be used as brief introductory pieces played before the performance of a major work. The author of this paper examines the preludes structural, tonal and stylistic elements. Then, the paper compares and contrasts the performance of these preludes by three different pianists: Martha Argerich, Howard Shelley and Alfred Cortot.

From the Paper:

"Structurally, they use and ABA cycle and move swiftly from andante to legato and back. Each of these "miniatures" is characterized by rapid arpeggios played against block chords, much as many of today's improvisational jazz pianists employ. Erroll Garner popularized this style of improvisation in the 1950s. The compositions achieve their characteristic tonality from the exploitation of the natural tonal qualities of their respective keys. No. 13 captures the warmth of F sharp while No. 14 utilizes the dark turbulence E flat."

More papers on Preludes No. 12 - 19 by Fryderyk Chopin:

• Essay # 137416 : "Analyzing Symbolism and the Submissive Role of Victorian Women in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin"
• Book Review # 36005 : "Awakening by Kate Chopin"
• Analytical Essay # 119507 : "A Setting Analysis of "The Storm" by Kate Chopin"

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