Today’s lecture covered chromatic chords derived from linear motion. Chopin’s Prelude No. 4 in E minor was the example piece, found on pp. 326 – 7 in the Anthology.
The piece begins with a first inversion tonic triad, moving to a V7 in m. 10 (with iv6 as an embellishment) – 12. The chords in between are best described as being derived from the descending motion that connects the i6 to the V7.
Measure 13 starts this process over again, moving to the dominant in m. 18 (with suspensions and embellishments), before finishing with a deceptive cadence to bVI in m. 21, followed by a cadential 6-4 (major then minor) in m. 22, and V4-2/bII in m. 23, and finally cadential 6-4 — V — i to end.
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