Playing Chopin pieces

[faa2010]

What could be the next points to remember when one wants to play a Chopin piece?

[faa2010]

What do you need in order to get and play better a Chopin piece?

[distantfieldrelative]

It depends a great deal on which of his pieces you intend to play.
One important thing to keep in mind while playing Chopin is to make the piano sing.
Recreating the legato of the human voice or the violin is very difficult to do correctly but the effect is worth the effort.
Try listening to Cortot or Pachmann. The recording quality on some of their records are not very good but there are still things we can learn. Good luck.

[adodd81802]

In the words of the composer - this is all you need to know "Souplesse avant tout!"

Fingerings can seem awkward, stretches that seem abnormal, speeds that seem unplayable, however suppleness of the wrist and flexibility of the hand is key.

[chopinlover01]

Again, this depends ENTIRELY upon what piece.
Above all, make the melody sing, whether it's the grande valse brilliante or the nocturne Op. 72/1.
All the technical challenges have to be made to sound easy.

[visitor]

What could be the next points to remember when one wants to play a Chopin piece?

Biggest point - the mazurkas are cooler than most give them and fred credit for and are probably his most intersting and satisfyin works to study and listen to. The technical buy in is low but to truely make them special takes a lof of refined musical sensibility and technique.

Most go gaga for etudes preludes and big works but his best gems are those spicey little miniatures

[kawai_cs]

Most go gaga for etudes preludes and big works but his best gems are those spicey little miniatures

That is true. I remember my Polish teacher at music school would say that mazurkas are the most difficult to play because of that very special mood they convey. Actually I do not remember anybody at the music school playing any mazurka as part of their learning repertoire. Mazurkas were not in the schedule and even if they were technically more approachable they were just not assigned.

[amytsuda]

I just found this lecture by Garrick Ohlsson about Chopin and found it very interesting. Etude 10 3 is analyzed a bit too.

[visitor]

That is true. I remember my Polish teacher at music school would say that mazurkas are the most difficult to play because of that very special mood they convey. Actually I do not remember anybody at the music school playing any mazurka as part of their learning repertoire. Mazurkas were not in the schedule and even if they were technically more approachable they were just not assigned.

Interesting, i had similar experience, no one in my musuc school ever plated them, but guest recitalists amd accomplished artists would present them in programs though students didnt ever attempt y
Them.

I would totally rather and would learn and play 15-30 minutes of mazuraks vs anything else of his solo piano works