Blogtrek

Agitated: Chopin's Prelude in G-sharp Minor

Here, in Opus 28, Number 12, is a fast and agitated waltz. First there is the rising strain of notes from a G-sharp minor chord, reminding me of a climactic buildup, misplaced at the beginning of a number, not the end. The buildup resolves itself, only to rebuild again. The waltz goes like this for a while, shifting keys a bit and building up to a big climax with its D-sharp minor chords. It then continues on and on, until it reduces to just two notes jumping back and forth. The waltz then resumes and ebbs away, only to have two sprightly octaves pop up at the end. It is not too hard to learn to play, although some of the chords are a bit of a stretch. There is also the problem of moving one finger of the right hand while keeping the thumb on the same note. I suppose one could dance the waltz to this, but it would be a bit more forceful than the usual waltz, because every one of the three beats is accented, not just the first one. As a waltz, this piece has somewhat of a Slavic feel, but that may just be because of the minor key. In any case, it seems to be the direct opposite of the previous prelude in B Major.