A great number of reminiscences of Dies Irae are found in Chopin’s works, in the preludes as well as in the entire work. The results are used to shed a light on the programmatic content of the Second Ballade. Five preludes are closely analyzed, occasioning critique of previous Schenkerian readings.

The book offers a criticism of Schenkerian theory and analytic practice. Contrary to what is held, is it really valuable when it comes to musical description and interpretation? What about its relationships to other kinds of analysis, and to linguistic syntax and music cognition?