This Chopin Prelude was originally written for piano and transcribed for guitar quartet here. It is one of the few pieces that must be played in quartet format. Simply redistribute the part assignments for this piece. Part one has multiple shifts that can be tricky if not approached slowly. It is important that ensemble drops down to a lower dynamic level at the points of the crescendos in measures 2 and 4 to create a more convincing change in volume. Also, when warming up for this piece, have the students subdivide beats into 16th notes to reinforce consistent tempo in the dotted rhythm.
Cultural/Historical Context:
Polish born composer Frederic Chopin is one of the most important piano composers of all time. He wrote thousands of works for keyboard. He is well known for his Nocturnes and Polonaises. Chopin was notorious for his use of rubato in performing his own works. Feel free to conduct with extensive rubato once the students are secure with this piece.