This is the most grand-scale prelude among the 24. There are three points to note when performing this prelude.

1. Balance

As indicated at the beginning with "ben tenuto il tema," the melody line should be clearly brought out. However, many performances tend to have the other chords in the right hand too loud. Chords in the right hand other than the theme serve merely as a "spice" and should not overpower the melody line. Even without this, the melody line starts as a single voice, and even when it becomes octaves, the other voices often have significantly more notes. If not careful, the piece can easily become incomprehensible. Ensure proper balance. Chords in the right hand other than the theme can even be played at p or pp.

2. Do Not Cut Off the Bass

For example, in measure 5, for the duration of beats 1-2, the bass is a half note H. The melody line, however, is G F# G A, and if the pedal is sustained normally, blurring will occur. However, even if blurring occurs, the author believes it is preferable to losing the bass. This is a piece where one wants to sustain the bass sufficiently, without worrying too much about a slight blur. Therefore, the pedal should be aligned with the bass (sustained until the bass changes).

3. Play as if with Difficulty

This piece, in particular, should not proceed with metronomic precision. While the first half is one thing, in the latter half, especially from measure 37 onwards, one should slow the tempo, increase the volume, and play "as if with difficulty," citing various reasons such as pesante, allargando, and sostenuto. Do not play it smoothly. By playing "as if with difficulty," one can express even greater grandeur and scale. Even the sixteenth-note octaves in measure 39 should not be played smoothly. From measure 40 onwards, gradually decrease the tempo and exaggerate body gestures. In other words, even if a passage like measure 38 can be played easily, one should avoid playing it easily.

The success of this prelude hinges on how much grandeur and scale can be expressed. The very last note of this prelude, D, should be played as loudly as possible.