Frédéric Chopin

Prelude 'La Goutte d'Eau' op. 23 No. 15

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This Prelude, nicknamed "drops of water", is taken from Chopin's collection of 24 preludes opus 28. The fifteenth in order of appearance, it is the longest and, above all, the most popular. Very similar in atmosphere to a Nocturne, its repeated notes in the left hand hypnotize the listener. For some, this endless repetition of the same notes symbolizes the raindrops that struck the roof of the Valdemosa Charterhouse, the retreat of Chopin and Georges Sand. The central section of the Prelude, in the key of C sharp minor, gradually swells, becomes agitated and culminates in an inconsolable fortissimo, the work's climax. The end re-exposes the initial theme and briefly returns to a certain clarity, not devoid of overwhelm and sadness.