An Analysis of Chopin's Prelude in G, Op.28 No.3
Written by Andrew Schartmann
That the preludes are a sheaf of moods, loosely held together by the rather vague title, is demonstrated by the third, in the key of G. The rippling, rain-like figure for the left hand is in the nature of a study. The melody is delicate in sentiment, Gallic in its esprit. A true salon piece, this prelude has no hint of artificiality. It is a precise antithesis to the mood of the previous one. Graceful and gay, the G major prelude is a fair reflex of Chopin's sensitive and naturally buoyant nature.
-James Huneker
In accordance with the fashion of his time, HunekerŐs musical analysis is more impressionistic than it is technical. Nonetheless, he makes the accurate observation that the left-hand pattern is reminiscent of an etude figuration. Like many etudes, once the first measure has been learned, the rest falls into place more easily. The key to unlocking this prelude musically is learning how to highlight the symbiotic relationship between the non-stop sixteenth-notes of the left hand and the incidental melody of the right hand. Thankfully, Chopin has done much of the work for us. The most prominent feature of the ostinato accompaniment figure - the local climax where E resolves to D - is the seed that flowers into an organic entity of stunning beauty; its melodic and rhythmic echoes in the right hand unify the parts and add another dimension to the music.[1] This element is emphasized in three ways: it is placed at the local climax, it is approached by the largest leap in the entire figure (that of a major sixth), and it is the only non-chord tone that serves as an inflection point.[2]
In conjunction with the stability of the tonic harmony, the first imitations (mm.3-5) place the chord tones on the downbeat. When the harmonic tension rises ([V7] of V - V - [V7] of V - V7), the appoggiatura, F#, sounds on the downbeat and its resolution is allotted a mere sixteenth note. Thus, the melody reflects the tension of the harmony and vise versa. When the tonic is restored at m.12, the chord tones occur, once again, on the downbeat. Ignoring the two introductory measures, notice that just prior to the return of the tonic, an extra measure of dominant harmony disrupts the formal equilibrium of the 4x4 phrase structure. What is the function of this measure (m.11) when the passage could function quite easily without it? Along with its role as a functional lead-in to the tonic, dominant harmony presents a strong sense of anticipation. Too quick a resolution would undermine its purpose, especially in this case where, due to the tonicization of V in m.8, a four-measure unit would allow the anticipatory function of the dominant harmony but a single measure.[3] Furthermore, the extra bar allows Chopin to restore the original rhythmic pattern of the appoggiatura figure which yields a smoother transition.[4]
Following four measures of tonic harmony that replicate mm.3-6, the prelude takes a new turn that sees the tonicization of IV. F natural is introduced in the soprano at m.16 over G in the bass thus transforming the tonic into the dominant seventh of IV. The arrival of this hitherto unexplored harmonic region is coupled with an event of even greater significance. By emphasizing the importance of E throughout the first half of the prelude, Chopin creates the expectation that this characteristic pitch will eventually lead somewhere interesting. This expectation is satisfied when E is, for the first time, given the role of a prominent chord tone in the melody. That this event is of paramount formal importance is evidenced by the fact that Chopin introduces it with the only eighth-note auxiliary tone (all of the others are sixteenth-notes), which also happens to be the only non-harmonic chromatic pitch in the entire melody. No less important is the fact that the position is held for two full measures. The changing role of this fundamental pitch leading up to its ultimate functional goal at m.18 is diagramed below.
The overall form can be divided into three large sections whose boundaries are determined by the opening idea. The first section (mm.1-11) is organized in three parts: an introduction (mm.1-2), a melodic opening over tonic harmony (mm.3-6), and a cadential phrase that leads back to the tonic (mm.7-11); the second section includes a return of the opening section (mm.12-15), and the exploration of a new harmonic region that eventually leads back to the tonic (mm.16-25); the final section consists of an extended passage over tonic harmony built on the ostinato.(mm.26-33). The form of this prelude is notably similar to that of Opus 28/1 and, as such, can be analyzed similarily. Again, the correlation between tension and structure appears; a stable opening section is followed by a longer section that begins in the same way as the first which, in turn, leads to a final section that emphasizes tonic harmony to a greater degree than the opening. Like the intensifying chromatic auxiliary tones of the first prelude, each note of the melody from m.22 to m.24 of this prelude is a non-chord tone that resolves to another dissonant pitch. The most piquant harmony in the entire prelude sets off this trend of dissonant melodic notes which eventually taper off into a perfect authentic cadence at m.26: in m.22, the B natural forms a major seventh with the bass, and F# is reintroduced, giving the harmony a temporary Lydian colouring.
When the tonic is reestablished in m.26, the return of the unaccompanied ostinato reminds the listener of the first measures of the prelude. This gives way to a drastic change in texture at m.28 - the right hand now doubles the left-hand ostinato figure at the octave - that makes the closure seem more inevitable; the leggiero marking supports the change in character. To further the sense of closure, Chopin shortens the ostinato to half a measure in m.30 and eliminates its most salient (some might say motivic) element: the climactic E. The ostinato is broken down even more in m.30 and comes to rest on the downbeat of m.31. Note how Chopin foreshadows the ending by writing a tenth on the downbeat of each measure rather than an octave, and how the chords at the end are nicely prepared by the rolled chords throughout the piece, especially the C major triad at m.18 which is voiced with the third on top.
Light in texture and simple in form, this prelude is deceivingly difficult to perform convincingly. The technical demands of the ostinato make it difficult to focus on voicing, and the generous spacing of the melodic entries demands that the performer work extra hard to sustain the musical line that joins them. It is surely for these reasons that musicologist Robert Collet deemed it "one of the most dangerous little pieces ever written."
Collet, Robert. "Studies, Preludes and Impromptus." Frédéric Chopin: profiles of the man
and the musician. Ed. Alan Walker. London: Barrie & Rockliff, 1966. 114-143.
Huneker, James. Chopin: The Man and His Music. New York: Dover, 1966.
Kresky, Jeffrey. A Reader's Guide to the Chopin Preludes. London: Greenwood Press, 1994.
© 2008 Andrew Schartmann