Elegiac Prélude “Trauerigkeit”

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).

This prélude (Trauerigkeit means sadness in German) is the most complex of the Elegiac Préludes. The prélude begins with a slow introduction with an almost Schenkerian sparseness before expanding into the main melody.

The bass assumes a broad set of broken chords underpinning the melody. The middle section modulates through C minor, G minor, and F minor before returning to the original key of D minor. The recapitulation of the main theme is written in triple counterpoint. The piece concludes with a “deconstructed” melody similar to the introduction.

This prélude was composed from 27 January 2012 through 22 August 2013.