Below the title, the piece's theme is stated as “Expression de la dissonance” (Expression of Dissonance). Amidst the beautiful dissonant harmonies, the descending melodic figures seem to express sadness. The sforzandos in measures 8 and 9 resemble strong sighs, like an emphatic “Ah!” It is desirable to play with emotion, avoiding any harshness in the sound. The left hand consistently repeats the same descending “sol-fa-mi-re” pattern throughout. Since this is offset from the phrasing of the right hand, care should be taken not to be influenced and play too strongly at any point. Through this continuously repeating descending left-hand pattern, consider the images evoked by the title “Tristesse” (Sadness), such as sighs, tears, or a bowed head.