Chopin's prelude op 28 no 4 with short choppy chords?

[supapiano225]

Hi! im learning prelude in e minor op 28 no 4 and my sheet music says no pedal untill
measure 16,17 and 18.
though without the pedal it does'nt sound right
 and not a bit like the recording.
 

    Please help!!!!

[stevebob]

You're misinterpreting the pedaling instructions on your score.

If you have pedal indicated only in bars 16, 17 and 18 (as in this example), it means that the composer or editor intends those measures to be pedaled in the manner indicated—and that elsewhere the use of the pedal is at the discretion of the performer.  The absence of explicit pedal marks doesn't mean "no pedal"; if no pedaling at all were intended, the words senza pedale would be used.

In any event, each piano is different, every room is different, and older editions of music may have been published when pianos had less resonance.  Though pedaling directions are useful as guidelines for performance, they're generally imprecise and rarely obligatory,

[supapiano225]

Thanks ssssssooooo much for your help!!!!
thanks!
I

[aonelas]

I second, thanks a lot!

[rachfan]

There are two other important points in performing this Prelude once you get the pedaling in place, and that relates to the LH chords.

First, the left hand chords are to be played INSIDE the keys.  What that means is that when you depress a chord, you don't let go of it with the hand and allow the keys to rise and rebound up to rest position level with the rest of the keyboard.  Instead you must keep the keys slightly depressed at all times and articulate the chords down inside the keys.  This shorter key dip distance acts to reduce the velocity of the keys, meaning that they lift the hammers to strike the strings with less force.  That keeps the sound of the chords softer, as they should be, (except during the climax), as they are background, not foreground.  There is nothing worse than suffering through this prelude with loud clangy chords in the accompaniment.

The other point about those chords is that if you look closely at them, usually a single harmonic note within each will change.  So these aren't boring repetitive chords, instead they are changing chords. What that means is that you must VOICE (or weight) the note that changes the harmony in each one so that it is more clear and apparent than the other repetitive notes in the chord.  Within any chord, that's the note that needs to be most heard by the audience.

The right hand, of course, plays a cantilena with frequent sigh motifs which is in contrast to the accompaniment in the bass.  In a sigh, the first note is louder than the second as in a two-note slur.

Goes to show, any Chopin piece that looks easy is actually quite difficult to play well.  

[scottmcc]

bravo rachfan for a fantastic explanation!

I think this piece, like many other of the chopin preludes, is really a "little etude," in that it really teaches one specific technique, specifically voicing.  the accompaniment must remain clear, but soft and allow the right hand melody to sing through, which is difficult given the quiet, minimal nature of the right hand part.  as this is the first bit of chopin most people will learn (or near the first, at the very least), it is tempting to look at this piece as simplistic, but like you said, it's far from easy to play well.  regarding the pedalling, I would additionally suggest playing both hands separately both with and without pedal so as to better understand the two lines, and then putting them together, again both with and without pedal.

[rachfan]

Hi scottmcc,

I'm glad you enjoyed reading my explanation on how to play the LH chords.  I totally agree with you. Every prelude in Op. 28 is a mini-etude containing an important performance technique.  The great pianist Moritz Rosenthal when in his 60s once remarked that he had been studying the little Prelude No. 7 in A all of his life and was still gaining new insights!  It reminds me too of Anton Rubinstein. When he would agree to hear a pianist in his studio, he refused to listen to a virtuosic piece, and insisted instead on hearing one or two of Mendelssohn's Songs without Words.  As is the case with the Chopin Preludes, there is no place for the pianist to hide when playing these works. That's what makes these short and seemingly simple works so difficult to play well.

I like your suggestion on practicing the pedaling.  By pedaling with each hand alone, it will inform the pianist of the accommodations and trade-offs that will be necessary in playing with hands together, making for cleaner, clearer and more effective pedaling.

[supapiano225]

Thankyou sooo much guys!!!!!!!!

[bbush]

VERY interesting info, here - so may I add my praise and thanks for such useful insights!

Bruce