Piano Forum

Topic: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?  (Read 31531 times)

Offline lars_o

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
on: January 29, 2011, 12:25:48 PM
I'm working on this prelude and there is this turn in measure 16 which in my (Henle) edition has a double-sharp accidental in parentheses printed below it (see attached image). I'm unsure how this is supposed to be played:
First of all does it apply to the A# or to the G?
Since the double sharp is below the turn symbol I guess it applies to the lower auxiliary note.
So if it applies to the A#, and I read the double-shap correctly, the lower auxiliary note would be A-natural (G raised by two half notes) that could mean the sequence should be A#-B-A#-A-A#.
If it applies to the G, I wouldn't think the double sharp applies to the upper note which is already raised once to A# and would become B making the sequence B-G-F#-G. Which seems really strange. So I think it must apply to the A#.

It would be great if someone who knows this a little better could confirm this or help me out with the correct interpretation of this sequence.

Thanks a lot!
Lars
Sign up for a Piano Street membership to download this piano score.
Sign up for FREE! >>

Offline gyzzzmo

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 2209
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #1 on: January 29, 2011, 12:52:28 PM
A# B A# A A# -> G

And i dont know why it could apply to the G, because the figure should be right of the G in that case ;)
1+1=11

Offline stevebob

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1133
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #2 on: January 29, 2011, 01:11:42 PM
lars, I think your confusion comes from not identifying the notes of the turn.  The double-sharp sign does indeed refer to G, but to the G that is the lower auxiliary of turn rather than the crotchet G an octave higher that follows the turn.

As gyzzzmo said, the correct notes for the turn are:

B
A♯
G double sharp
A♯
What passes you ain't for you.

Offline lars_o

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #3 on: January 29, 2011, 03:54:34 PM
Thanks!

@gyzzzmo, I though it was possible for a turn sign to also appear to the left of the note that it applies to, but I now realize that there simply doesn't seem to be such a thing. I guess I just assumed this because the absolute distance of the turn sign to the G is smaller that its distance to the A#. Thus I jumped to the conclusin that it may apply to the G :-)

I listened to a few version of this piece I found on youtube and there were one or two that seemed play the turn as just 4 notes (like stevebob said) and other used five like gyzzzmo said.

After re-reading a bit about the notation, since the turn sign is not directly above the A# it would appear to me as though the five-note version is more correct although the four-note version is easier to do rhythmically. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Offline stevebob

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1133
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #4 on: January 29, 2011, 04:57:42 PM
Either of these is fine:
What passes you ain't for you.

Offline pianowolfi

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 5654
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #5 on: January 29, 2011, 07:00:17 PM
Either of these is fine:

Yes :)

And if you wish listen to this, it's wonderful:




Offline lars_o

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #6 on: January 29, 2011, 08:05:54 PM
Stevebob, that's marvelous. Much appreciated!

Offline stevebob

  • PS Silver Member
  • Sr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 1133
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #7 on: January 29, 2011, 08:18:51 PM
Glad I could help out, lars.
What passes you ain't for you.

Offline lars_o

  • PS Silver Member
  • Jr. Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 30
Re: How to play the Turn in Chopin Prelude Op. 28 - 4?
Reply #8 on: February 05, 2011, 07:26:06 PM
This piece is also featured in a really nice TED talk by Benjamin Zander
https://www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion.html
For more information about this topic, click search below!

Piano Street Magazine:
A Jazz Piano Christmas 2024

Tradition meets modernity this year on NPR's traditional season’s celebration ”A Jazz Piano Christmas”, recorded live at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. on December 13. Read more
 

Logo light pianostreet.com - the website for classical pianists, piano teachers, students and piano music enthusiasts.

Subscribe for unlimited access

Sign up

Follow us

Piano Street Digicert