The Prelude, Op. 28, No. 1, played on the piano, is the first of Chopin's preludes. It was published in 1839 and dedicated to Camille Pleyel.
Contents
Pianist Vladimir de Pachmann noted this prelude as "The first one is in a style that reminds one very forcibly of Schumann. [Robert Schumann]"
Analysis
Marked Agitato, Italian for "agitated" and in the key of C Major, this prelude is in 2/8 time. This prelude lasts from about 40 seconds to one minute and is a mere 34 bars (or measures) long. This prelude consists of 8-bar phrases with a coda in the end of the piece, and is also consisted to arpeggios in a four-part harmony. From bars 16-20, a stretto is listed in the English and French first editions of the piece, meaning to increase tempo in the piece, but not in the Italian first edition. Throughout the piece, the piece shifts out of C Major but doesn't actually modulate to a different key. According to Marilyn Anne Meier, an Australian concert pianist, the prelude should be played "…by playing the semiquavers intensely legato, not articulated and separated."
Name
This prelude wasn't nicknamed by the composer when it was first published. However, both Alfred Cortot and Hans von Bülow created nicknames for this piece, Cortot naming this "Feverish anticipation of loved ones" and Bülow naming this "Reunion". Out of the two, Bülow's nickname is more popular.