chopin prelude #4 and #7

[pianistimo]

#4 #7

[pianistimo]

#7

[rachfan]

No. 4: The thing I liked best about your rendition is that, where this prelude is a mini-etude, you played the long line of the soaring bel canto melody beautifully.  Even more importantly, you played the LH accompanying chords in a way to emphasize their ever changing variable voicing, bringing out each difference as one group of chords is altered in the next group.  Sometimes the variation occurs in the top of the chord, the middle voice, or the bottom.  And that was the whole point of the mini-etude.  You demonstrated a fine technique there.  Good job!

No 7 in A is the most difficult of the 24.  It is one of those pieces that looks so simplistic on paper, but in reality is treacherous, and leaves the pianist exposed in performing it every time.  There is no place to hide in this piece.  (It reminds me of how Anton Rubinstein insisted, when auditioning prospective students, that they play Mendelssohn's Songs without Words for him, and skip the virtuosic pieces.  That's how he judged their musicianship.)  I mentioned before that this Prelude in A humbles everyone in their quest for perfection, never quite attaining it here, no matter how many times they perform this prelude in their lifetimes. 

The one criticism I would mention is that you seem not to hold the half-note chords to their full value, so they sound clipped to the point of nearly being quarter notes--which surprised me, because I consider you to be an expert's expert when it comes to rhythm.  I point to your Scarlatti renditions to prove my point.  (I don't dare play those sonatas.)  So what's up with the half notes here?

[pianistimo]

dear rachfan,

thank you, actually, for pointing out the things i need to work on.  it really does help a lot!  i will work on holding out those half notes.  i  like to jest - but seriously - you are helping me think about these things.     susan

[rachfan]

You're entirely welcome!  Some things you'll accept and some you'll reject, and that's as it should be.

David

[rachfan]

I forgot, if you want my attempts at these, here they are.