Prelude

Prelude (Adagio, completed December 27, 1950) possesses a unique sound within the collection. The music maintains a constant tension throughout, driven by a long, narrative melody played over the incessant tremolo of B-flat in the left hand at the opening. A chorale-like passage towards the end of the piece offers a momentary sense of repose, but it is quickly cut short by the return of the tremolo accompaniment. Some scholars point to similarities with Mussorgsky's music due to the distinctive tremolo accompaniment; indeed, the eerie introduction to the song “Trepak” and “With the Dead in a Dead Language” from Pictures at an Exhibition seem to echo within this Prelude.

Fugue

The modal subject of the Fugue (3 voices, Allegro non troppo, completed December 28, 1950) is imbued with melancholy, and scholars and critics have interpreted a profound sadness within it. At the same time, it is noteworthy that it also carries a dance-like rhythm in a rapid triple meter. Each voice, including the counter-subject, continues almost without rests, creating an overall sense of fluidity.