Des pas sur la neige

This was an extremely popular backdrop among Impressionist artists like Claude Monet or Alfred Sisley; the latter painted Snow at Louveciennes.

[8] In complete contrast to these two, Des pas sur la neige exudes a sense of isolation, with Lederer describing the prelude as a "stark expression of loneliness and desolation.

"[4] By placing these three preludes in this particular order, Debussy ensured that arguably the most technically challenging composition of the collection (Vent d'ouest) was sandwiched in-between the two that are the simplest to play out of the twenty-four.

[14] The middle section sees the utilization of complex dissonant chords leading up to the climax of the piece, which evokes a sense of sorrow.

The opening motif then repeats itself with increased dissonance, before arriving at a new passage where the ascending melody withdraws from the "sighing" chords.