Rachmaninoff: Prelude No. 4, Op. 23 - Voicing Issues

[cadenza14224]

Hey everybody,

I'm new here, and I'm a total hobbyist. So after hearing this gorgeous piece I mustered up the courage to try it (for an amateur, my technique is pretty decent). Alas, I finished it, but it sounds nothing like I want it to. The main problem I'm having is bringing out the inner voicing/melody from measures 19-30; I play both with my right hand, however I keep bringing out the upper voice, while many recordings I've heard have a tendency to bring out the bottom voice (take Alexis Weissenberg's recording of it for instance).....how the hell do I begin to bring out that voice? It seems humanly impossible for me at the moment. I can actually do so when playing my right hand separately...but add in the left hand, I guess my mind gets side-tracked....and the middle voice completely disappears...

Maybe a better question is: How the hell do I build better finger independence so I can do this? lol...(please do not say the Bach inventions, there has got to be a more enjoyable way).

[_nisa_]

Hey,

Congratulations for your work and passion.
It is not necessarily a matter of finger independance. I think it is a two-fold issue.

-Not your fault!
What piano do you play on?
If playing on an digital one, then it is very tough to add dynamics to a piece. Also, on an old piano and by old I mean not in a very decent shape, it could be very hard also (but not impossible depending on the hammers).

-Your fault
Don't worry the first step in learning a piece is learning the right notes. But you've done that, so now you 'just' have to focus on dynamics. Congratulations, that's the final step.
For such piece, I suggest to work by exagerating a lot the dynamics. Don't worry, it takes time, but you'll see at some point your progress. Also, when in trouble with polyphony, I practice this way and stop for a brief moment after each accented note. It helps focusing on it since you don't think at what follows, and you will be able to erase this bad habit with a metronome afterwards.

Also, try to record the piece, because depending on the room and piano, you may not really hear what the audience do.

Nisa

[drkilroy]

Maybe a better question is: How the hell do I build better finger independence so I can do this? lol...(please do not say the Bach inventions, there has got to be a more enjoyable way).

Bach fugues.

Best regards, Dr

[j_menz]

Bach fugues.

Absolutely!!