In B minor, marked "sadly" at the beginning, with "sempre legato e molt espressivo" written, the piece requires a consistently legato and expressive performance throughout.

As the symbolic motif of repeated notes (two eighth notes and two quarter notes) begins to emerge from the left hand, the right hand starts playing the same motif a minor second higher in the second measure. The painful clash of the minor second dissonance evokes a sorrow accompanied by pain. This clash also appears in measures 5, 10, and 13. Although typically a four-measure phrase, the phrase starting from measure 13 is extended by one measure, becoming a five-measure phrase, where strong emotions are expressed at the culminating ff. The remaining eight measures feature fragmented slurs, requiring a different phrasing and breath compared to the preceding long phrases. A chromatic descending motion begins, marking a scene where the notes move away from the previous repeated-note motif. Also, pay close attention to the long chromatic notes (dotted half notes) in the inner voices.