Frédéric Chopin
Prelude
in E Minor, Op. 28 No. 4
Each of the 24 Preludes is a miraculous example of Chopin's virtuosity in translating human emotions to piano music. This is one of the most well-known and also one of the saddest: Chopin himself requested that it should be played at his funeral.
Year: 1834
Period: Early Romantic
Piano score: PS Urtext 
Audiovisual Study Tool
Prelude Op. 28 No. 4 - FREE SAMPLE (mp3 file) 
Farewell music?
The Prelude in E minor is a one of Chopin's most accessible pieces, but also a musically very sophisticated work. It's a sad and mournful piece, "the languid pensiveness of which defies description. It seems to shut out the wide, noisy world, for a time." (Friedrich Niecks) With its minor key, chromatically descending chords and the fact that it's intended to "die away" as per Chopin's notation, it conveys an almost overwhelming sense of despair. While the notes are few and quite easy to find for the intermediate pianist, the shaping, coloring and pacing of this unique melody is worth a lifetime of study.Background
Chopin's set of 24 preludes were first published in 1839 and dedicated to the composer Joseph Christoph Kessler. They received quite some criticism for their brief length and lack of any traditional structure; they were seen as more like sketches or brief notes as opposed to fully-formed ideas. However, there were also some, more forward-looking contemporaries, among them Robert Schumann, who admired them intensely. Chopin requested that the E minor prelude should be played at his funeral.Forum posts about this piece:
Struggling to find my next work by rolvetheprotogen
I'm mostly self taught, and just can't seem to find another work to pursue. So far under my belt I have Moonlight Sonata first movement, and Chopin's E minor prelude. I also worked on his C sharp...
Pieces of moderate difficulty to learn in a week by rtheunissen
Dear all, In a few weeks time I have to play the piano for an important 80th birthday however, I can't start learning my music until about a week before. I'm not required to play an entire...
on what i should work on? by luk0ss
Hello everyone, i play piano since late january so im pretty much of a begginer. i would like to know what should i improve and on what i should work on....
Good Technique Songs by c128ash
Hello, This is my first post so I apologize if something isn't formatted correctly. I played the piano when I was younger, and just got back into it 4 or so months ago. Over that time span I played...
Next piano piece by pius02
Hi! I am from Germany and playing since 7 Years and i would say I’m an advanced Player, but i can definitely improve. In recent years I have made very little progress and i want to change that...
CHOPIN Prelude n°4 Op28 by maxnorma
Hello friends, I am a guitarist and I am working on several transcriptions of this magnificent prelude. I listen with attention and a lot of pleasure to several versions and interpretations on the...
Chopin Prelude in E minor | In-depth Tutorial by antune
Hi guys, Here is my new video on Prelude in E minor by [url=www.pianostreet.com/chopin-sheet-music/]F. Chopin[/url]. In this video, I give an idea on how to approach with hands separate &...
Chopin's E-Minor Prelude - Analysis by fredviner
Chopin’s 4th prelude in E-minor is one of the composer’s most heart-rending works. It’s also one of his most popular and among the very best-known pieces in the entire piano repertoire. But what actually...
Nutty Notes - Chopin Prelude in Em - Ab to G# in same bar by lettersquash
I got used to musical notation being "insane" a long time ago, but this just about takes the biscuit. I'm learning Chopin's Prelude in E-minor, Op.28 No.4. The two sets of gradually...
Just saying hi by lettersquash
Hi fellow pianists, this is just to introduce myself. Real name John, 59, and returning to studying and practising the piano after about 40 years. It was one of those curious twists life throws at us now and...
beginner repertoire suggestion by tamaaa
Hi, im a beginner with less than 1 years of playing (9 months to be exact), below is my recent repertoire (from early 2020): Chopin Waltz in A minor Sonatina Op 36 No 1 Chopin Prelude Op 28 No....
Pieces to improve piano technique by winqurin
Hi everyone, I'm a self-taught piano player (i believe i can categorise myself as intermediate because it's been 3 years) trying to improve my piano technique. From the day that i started playing...
What to learn? by chopinsbiggestfan
I've been playing piano for a long time but never seriously. I usually looked at people playing then attempted to copy then quit. Though a few months ago I decided to try playing piano without really...
Introducing myself by lb023
Dear people of this forum, My name is Laurens, I am a 23 year old law student living in the Netherlands. I have been visiting this forum quite some times, so I decided it was about time to make an...
How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4? by lars_o
I'm working on this prelude and there is this turn in measure 16 which in my (Henle) edition has a double-sharp accidental in parentheses printed below it (see attached image). I'm unsure how this is...
24 Préludes, Op. 28: IV. In E Minor - Chopin by aonelas
My teacher just handed me this, I could wait two days and ask him, but I'm getting impatient, and would like to meet the mark he set for me by my next lesson. When I get to the first wavier in the melody,...
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Prelude in E Minor - Op. 28 No. 4 is a piano piece by the early romantic composer Frédéric Chopin who lived between the years 1810 and 1849.
The composition was first published in 1834 and is included in Preludes by Chopin.