Chopin: "Raindrop" Prelude Op 28 no 15

[lelle]

So I'm playing a couple of technically "less challenging" works to work on interpretation. I have to say this is one of the more difficult pieces I have played! 

I'd like some feedback what you think of my playing

[rachfan]

Hi lelle,

Despite the piano, I think you play this prelude with wonderful expression and poetry.  There is much to like in your rendition.  I appreciate your handling of the dynamic contours, that is, having the volume of sound rise as the figuration ascends, and tapering off the sound as it descends.  In this piece that technique is very effective.  

Starting on page 2, a very nice sotto voce effect.  You do A LOT with voicing.  So much of this piece is about voicing.  In measures 16-17 you voice the bottom notes of the thirds in the LH.  In 29-30 and the repetitions, you voice the bottoms of the first two double note chords in LH, then feature the tops in the next two double notes, and continue it throughout the storm.  And on page three in  measures 60-63 you voice the tops of the octaves and chords in the RH, then in 64 you shift to voicing the the second notes down from the tops of the chords.  Voicing middle voices is hardest, but you do it convincingly.

In measure 86 on the downbeat I hear you playing D flat with E flat.  In your edition is there also a G flat whole note at the top?  The Paderewski Edition has the G flat, and to me the voice leading from the G flat up to the B flat sounds better than from the E flat.  If it's not in your edition, you might want to pencil it in and try it, voicing the G flat at the top.

If I were to make one suggestion, I would say that your tempo is too fast. So many people play it that way, that my comment probably surprises you.  But if you really want to create the sense of a rainy day, slow the tempo down, and make the opening motif even more pronounced.  If you experiment with slower tempos, I think you'll be quite amazed by the result.  Chopin did not give a tempo marking in the score, leaving the pianist some license to interpret it for himself.

Fine playing, lelle.

David

[lelle]

Thanks for your kind words about my playing! I'm always very critical of my own playing and I always hear a lot of stuff that could've been better. Kinda frustrating really :p

In measure 86 on the downbeat I hear you playing D flat with E flat.  In your edition is there also a G flat whole note at the top?  The Paderewski Edition has the G flat, and to me the voice leading from the G flat up to the B flat sounds better than from the E flat.  If it's not in your edition, you might want to pencil it in and try it, voicing the G flat at the top.

I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to, since my edition doesn't have measure numbers written out, and I just got lost when trying to count them from the beginning lol. I've attached the last page of my edition in the post, so you can check for yourself

I've experimented around a lot with the tempo (I even played the opening faster for a while, but decided that it sounded too rushed that way) and I definitely think that I shouldn't play the opening faster at any rate! I like to hear the Poco piu animato having a decent momentum and I think it sounds strange if the tempo difference between the two parts is too big (especially the transition between them sounds awkward that way to my ears). I was very inspired by Alfred Cortot when I heard him play this so the tempo might just be a subjective preference coming from listening to him. I definitely play it a bit slower from time to time though!

Again, thanks for your kind feedback, it's much appreciated!

[emill]

Hi lelle,

Despite the piano, I think you play this prelude with wonderful expression and poetry.  There is much to like in your rendition.  I appreciate your handling of the dynamic contours, that is, having the volume of sound rise as the figuration ascends, and tapering off the sound as it descends.  In this piece that technique is very effective.  

Fine playing, lelle.

David

wonderful!!  and may I also say,  quoting from that famous phrase .....  "LUKE ....  trust your feelings"
(which makes Luke Skywalker favor his feelings over the use of his craft's electronic eyesight)

[rachfan]

Hi lelle,

Go to page 3, bottom line.  The counting the last measure, look at the fourth measure in.  In the treble clef on the first beat you'll see (in your edition too) a triad, reading upward D flat, E flat, G flat.  It's that top G flat, a whole note, I'm not hearing.  Are you playing it?

[lelle]

Hi lelle,

Go to page 3, bottom line.  The counting the last measure, look at the fourth measure in.  In the treble clef on the first beat you'll see (in your edition too) a triad, reading upward D flat, E flat, G flat.  It's that top G flat, a whole note, I'm not hearing.  Are you playing it?

Ah yes, I see what you mean. I think it's a small error where I fail to strike the key enough for it to make a sound (the recording is "live" so to say, since I haven't edited it. I just did a couple of takes and while this has other errors as well it was the "best" of the takes). I usually play the Gb so that it is audible, but I do emphasize the quarter note melody  (Db - C - Bb - C), like in the recording.