Elegiac Prélude “Pathétique”

The Five Elegiac Préludes Opp 11-15 were conceived as a set of préludes totally written in minor keys (no modulations to major keys) to reflect elegiac emotions (as emphasized by their subtitles).

The Prélude in B♭ minor Op. 11 consists of a first and second inversion chordal bass in accompaniment to a simple melody in the upper register of the piano. The piece ends in the upper registers with a syncopated rhythm in the bass.

The piece was composed from 27 December 2011 through 18 May 2012. A revision incorporating an arpeggiated chordal progression at the end of the first development section before concluding by repeating the primary melody with syncopated rhythms was undertaken in January 2016. The arpeggiation was derived from the Élégie for Cello and Piano Op. 19.