Prelude No. 23 is based on a musical idea consisting of four bars of arpeggios and a short melodic motif played by the left hand. Chopin employs harmonies such as added sixths, as well as extensions such as the ninth, eleventh and thirteenth. This harmonic language is closer to Impressionism than Romanticism. The prelude concludes with a dominant seventh chord.

Complete Preludio by Jeannette Fang

Measures 1 to 4

These are the first four measures of the prelude.

• It begins with a tonic chord to which an added sixth (D) has been added. In beats three and four of the second bar, the D becomes the ninth of the dominant chord.
• At measure 4, Chopin adds chromatic non-harmonic tones to the tonic chord.

Measures 5 to 8

This musical idea is then repeated in C major. The section concludes with a dominant chord, which takes us back to F major.

Measures 9 to 12

The first measures are repeated one octave higher. The section concludes with the dominant chord of B-flat major:

Measures 13 to 16

The section begins in B-flat major but quickly transitions to F major. Note the use of ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths over the dominant chord. The third of the dominant chord only appears in measure 16:

Measures 17 to 22

Measures 5 through 8 are repeated as a recapitulation, with two additional measures added. Surprisingly, the prelude ends on a dominant chord.

Complete Prelude

Jeannette Fang, piano. Courtesy of MUSOPEN