Prelude No. 23 is based on a four-measure long musical idea made with arpeggios and a short melodic motive. Harmonically, Chopin uses sonorities like added sixths and extensions like the ninth, eleventh and thirteen. The harmonic language is closer to an impressionistic than to a romantic style. The Prelude ends with a dominant seventh chord.

Complete Preludio by Jeannette Fang

Measures 1 to 4

These are the first four measures of the prelude.

• It starts with a tonic chord with an added sixth (D). In beats 3 and 4 of the second measure, the D becomes the ninth of the dominant chord.
• Chopin adds chromatic non-harmonic tones to the tonic chord at measure 4.

Measures 5 to 8

The musical idea is repeated in C major. This section ends with a dominant chord that brings us back to F major:

Measures 9 to 12

The first measures are repeated one octave higher. The section ends with Bb major's dominant chord:

Measures 13 to 16

The section starts in Bb major but quickly moves to F major. Note the use of ninths, elevenths and thirteen over the dominant chord. The third of the dominant chord only appears in measure 16:

Measures 17 to 22

Measures 5 to 8 are repeated as recapitulation with two extra measures. Surprisingly, the prelude ends with a dominant chord:

Complete Prelude

Jeannette Fang, piano. Courtesy of MUSOPEN