This prelude is truly full of mysteries. The author is currently examining a version notated with a 4/8 time signature.

While searching for other editions online, I found some where this was rewritten in 2/4 time. The tempo would likely change significantly depending on whether this piece is in quadruple or duple meter.

Furthermore, in the edition I am examining, the A section, which returns at measure 51, is marked "Tempo 1". For "Tempo 1" to be indicated, there should logically be a preceding tempo change instruction, but I cannot find one despite extensive searching. All markings on the score, apart from this "Tempo 1", relate to dynamics.

Considering whether the tempo before "Tempo 1" was slower or faster than "Tempo 1", I can definitively state that it was never faster than "Tempo 1". This is because, when considering the numerous notes that must be played, such as the 32nd notes and quintuplets beginning around measure 38, a tempo faster than "Tempo 1" would feel musically unnatural.

This leads back to the earlier speculation about whether the piece is in quadruple or duple meter, but the tempo marking "Andantino" further complicates the discussion. "Andantino" is an Italian term meaning "a little Andante", and "a little" is a truly ambiguous word, as it can imply either faster or slower than "Andante". In Japan, "Andantino" is generally understood to mean "slightly faster than Andante", so I will proceed with that assumption.

Let us assume this piece is in 4/8 time and is slightly faster than Andante. Even so, the tempo should be quite leisurely. If it is in 4/8 time, I believe it would proceed at a tempo of 8th note = 80-90. In this case, an 8th note = 80 would be a significantly slower tempo than most existing recordings.

Although there was also an edition in 2/4 time, I choose to trust the 4/8 time signature, which was likely deliberately written. And as mentioned earlier, a tempo setting between 80 and 90 seems appropriate.

For the tempo of the middle B section, I suggest applying "broading" (slowing the tempo). Rather than playing it lightly and briskly, I believe the key is to slow down the tempo and play it with a sense of "difficulty", as if experiencing great hardship.

Upon reaching measure 47, the 32nd notes disappear. I believe that the compositional technique of applying a diminuendo, gradually slowing the tempo further, and fading away—culminating in the absence of notes on the off-beat for the first time at measure 50—signifies the end of a story, depicting a slowing tempo and a fading away.

I believe "Tempo 1" is intended to restore that slower tempo.

And this piece is marked "cantando" at the beginning. Rather than playing it mechanically and without emotion, please sing out the lyrical parts fully.

The A section of this piece begins with a simple, clear, and naive melody, as if telling a story to someone. The story, which starts peacefully, gradually develops into a tense, oppressive, and almost maddeningly intense passage in the middle section, before silence returns. Finally, consider this piece like a fleeting bad dream, where one can escape from a fictional narrative, having been masterfully transported to another world by the storyteller.