Quest to complete Chopin's Preludes

[pencilart3]

As some of you know, I love Chopin's preludes and I have played many of them. Well, it's time to give them all a shot. I know 1, 3, 4, 7, 15, 16 and 20, and I am in the process of learning 6, 11, 14, and 17. Others I have learned parts of but never finished. So here goes nothing... I'M GOING TO LEARN THEM ALL!! Yay. So here's what I've done so far. I've got more on the way, but here is a start. Kind of like AJ's thread (this was his idea lol) I am going to be posting practices, articles, recordings and such and just letting you all know how everything is going. Please help me on my way, I'm going to need it!!

[rubinsteinmad]

As some of you know, I love Chopin's preludes (almost as much as I love Aimi LOL ) and I have played many of them. Well, it's time to give them all a shot. I know 1, 3, 4, 7, 15, 16 and 20, and I am in the process of learning 6, 11, 14, and 17. Others I have learned parts of but never finished. So here goes nothing... I'M GOING TO LEARN THEM ALL!! Yay. So here's what I've done so far. I've got more on the way, but here is a start. Kind of like AJ's thread (this was his idea lol) I am going to be posting practices, articles, recordings and such and just letting you all know how everything is going. Please help me on my way, I'm going to need it!!

Ugh I hate your piano but I love how you play #1.

[pencilart3]

I hate your piano but I love how you play #1.

I love my piano but I hate how I play #1.

[rubinsteinmad]

As some of you know, I love Chopin's preludes (almost as much as I love Aimi LOL )

It's illegal on PS to be in love with anything besides Aimi.

[ajlongspiano]

Hey Noah!

So glad to hear about this. You're off to a nice start and I really like your playing. I'll just give some feedback on no.1 if you don't mind.

You've come a long way, I just have some personal ideas that you may use or throw away into the mental waste basket!

1 - You're shaping this very well, it could use an extra layer of depth though that will just make your playing more full of detail. This is subjective, but I feel like the level of drama is pretty similar throughout, you have dynamic contrast, but the contrast is pretty condensed. I'm not telling you to switch moods super fast, that would be distasteful. This will sound odd because I don't think anyone does it, but bear with me. Here's my idea, for the first section, stick your soft pedal down and play it exactly the way you play it. The soft pedal doesn't only lower dynamic levels, but it also changes the timbre and gives a different sense of color. You could play the exact same dynamic level with unacorda on and then off and it would still sound different even though the dynamics were the same. It just gives a different aura. Once the section repeats I see that you want to build more intensity, at this point play it out without the soft pedal, this will give an even GREATER tonal contrast and it'll sound really special.

2 - Pay attention to all the separate voices. Right now you're just bringing out the tops, which is great, I love what you're doing with it. But a couple of times you should hint at the lower voice in the right hand which is actually a reflection of the top voice.

3 - This is more of a technical problem that I think I hear. Are you tying the bottom note for five beats in the first four measures like Chopin writes in the score? I don't think I can hear the resonance of that G in the bottom voice.

Great job Noah! I can hear a ton of improvements. You're being much more thoughtful and musically sensitive now so I'm proud of your work. Never be discouraged by my comments, I'll always have an idea or two

[pencilart3]

Thanks for the feedback AJ!! I'll think about those and send you a PM. I just finished #20!! Here it is...

5 down, 21 to go... sigh...

[rubinsteinmad]

Thanks for the feedback AJ!! I'll think about those and send you a PM. I just finished #20!! Here it is...

5 down, 21 to go... sigh...

oooo I like this piano way more

[pencilart3]

oooo I like this piano way more

Lol but it's the same piano

[rubinsteinmad]

Tu jouais les morceaux tres terriblement!  
Tu dois jouer comme Eric Lu!  

Il joue mieux que Rafal Blechacz

[pencilart3]

Just giving you guys an update, even though nobody is following this, I have been preparing 1, 16 and 17 for a competition, so I haven't had time to record them, but I will post them this weekend and I would like some help when I do!

[ajlongspiano]

Good luck at the competition my friend! You got this..

[pencilart3]

Good luck at the competition my friend! You got this..

Thanks AJ! But dang it Mr. Bach what on earth were you thinking on that Presto movement!?

[ajlongspiano]

He wasn't thinking about the abilities of others. That's for sure . Post that Italian Concerto soon!

[pencilart3]

I will soon! I just need to finish up the memorization on the 2nd movement, and I need to nail down a few sticky spots in the 3rd. Then I will upload it!

[pencilart3]

Il joue mieux que Rafal Blechacz

NO HE DOESN'T

[kawai_cs]

Just giving you guys an update, even though nobody is following this,

We are following , it is just that there is not always time to write when there is so much to read to catch up.

[rubinsteinmad]

NO HE DOESN'T

You need a taste bud transplant  

[pencilart3]

You need a taste bud transplant  

It's different for everyone. You can compare these...

to these here's some random ones from Eric Lu... the rest are on youtube. Too bad Chopin Institute decided to put them on as 24 videos.

[rubinsteinmad]

It's different for everyone. You can compare these...

to these here's some random ones from Eric Lu... the rest are on youtube. Too bad Chopin Institute decided to put them on as 24 videos.

OK fine, Blechacz is the best, starting from the very first note

[pencilart3]

OK fine, Blechacz is the best, starting from the very first note

Don't you love how confidently he plays that first C? It's crazy how he conveys a lot just in that first note. I'm serious... listen to it again and pause it after the first note.

[rubinsteinmad]

Don't you love how confidently he plays that first C? It's crazy how he conveys a lot just in that first note. I'm serious... listen to it again and pause it after the first note.

blecahcz makes me wanna force my (somewhat limited) piano skills to commit suicide

[pencilart3]

OK, well sorry it's been a while, but here is number 17!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

My favourite Chopin prelude Lots of nice things - you get the main voice line across, your rubati are well-judged and natural. What I would suggest: your melody is slightly percussive; it should be more lusingando and less martellato. A rounder sound, caressing the keys, but still firm, would help. Also, don't be afraid to really whisper when appropriate. I think the E major harmonies are a good point for that effect. Very promising, all in all.

[pencilart3]

Hi ronde des slyphes, thanks for the response! I think you are one of the only people who wasn't in that big religious debate over in the other board so I'm glad that somebody responded. Anyway, I've heard a lot of people say it's their favorite (I prefer the angrier ones like 8, 12, 16, & 24) but when I made a poll of it 17 won. So by lusingando, do you mean a little bit gentler? I was trying for something like my favorite pianist's interpretation, his is kind of heavy as well. His name is Rafal Blechacz, you can youtube his 24 preludes recording, if you want listen to 17 and let me know what you think. And I totally agree about the E major chords.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I listened to Blechacz, Argerich and Pogorelich.

Blechacz was probably the most conventionally Chopinesque. He wasn't that heavy on the chords: his sound was quite rounded, though I would have preferred a more Bolet-like sound in this prelude.

Argerich was Argerich. I found her recording the most compelling, though it's surely wrong in spirit. It's allegretto! As usual she managed to project her impetuous personality onto the music, and because it's such a strong personality it worked, just probably not in the way it's supposed to.

Pogorelich was musically interesting but I do take issue with the fact that he completely omitted the fz bassnote bell tolls at the end.

Lusingando = caressingly. I interpret the rh melody as a love song; it should be ardent, which doesn't preclude it getting loud, it just means that it should be loud but with a round, controlled sound. My suggestion of lusingando was partly to indicate the sort of psychological context within which to generate the louder sounds. Of course, interpretations are personal things. Argerich was certainly ardent, but perhaps a bit full on..

[outin]

That was really nice!
But how did you record it? The sound is a bit weird...Did you do some processing to it?

[pencilart3]

That was really nice!
But how did you record it? The sound is a bit weird...Did you do some processing to it?

Thanks Outi You can see how I recorded it in the video, when the camera angle changes to me (I look like a retard LOL) I've got my recorder sitting there. I tried a new recording angle, but I didn't "process" it. What do you mean by it sounding weird? I want to know so I can improve any fails! And also were you wearing headphones when you listened to it?

BTW that knocks out 1, 4, 7, 16, 17, and 20. How is your prelude 2 coming along?

[outin]

Thanks Outi You can see how I recorded it in the video, when the camera angle changes to me (I look like a retard LOL) I've got my recorder sitting there. I tried a new recording angle, but I didn't "process" it. What do you mean by it sounding weird? I want to know so I can improve any fails! And also were you wearing headphones when you listened to it?

I have the computer hooked into a stereo system. It just sounds odd in the upper register, like someone is plucking the strings instead of hammers hitting.

BTW that knocks out 1, 4, 7, 16, 17, and 20. How is your prelude 2 coming along?

My left wrist made me stop with that one. I have ganglias in it and it got worse with the streches. I'd have to rely on pedal only for the LH legato and I didn't like it. Small hands suck...I will try again some day when I am in better shape.

20 I cannot play at all, rolling those chords just don't work and dropping notes annoys me...

So I learned the short one in A major instead and now I started the one in Fis major...never can remember the numbers on these things

[swagmaster420x]

Sounds nice and reminds me a bit of Cinema Paradiso theme.
I will agree with the general comment that the tone is a bit bright/harsh. Maybe this is due to your recording equipment.

[pencilart3]

I have the computer hooked into a stereo system. It just sounds odd in the upper register, like someone is plucking the strings instead of hammers hitting.

Ah, I see. That's probably because I put the mics really close. It makes it sound more full though, to me. And that's too bad about your wrist! Prelude 7 is a nice one, though. You could try 6 as well.

Sounds nice and reminds me a bit of Cinema Paradiso theme.
I will agree with the general comment that the tone is a bit bright/harsh. Maybe this is due to your recording equipment.

Thanks swagmaster Yes, you can see where I put my recorder in the video. That's a new place for me, but on my tiny speaker, I think it sounds better, personally!

[outin]

Ah, I see. That's probably because I put the mics really close. It makes it sound more full though, to me. And that's too bad about your wrist! Prelude 7 is a nice one, though. You could try 6 as well.

6 is among my favorites, I will later