Playing Lush Stuff

[dinosaurtales]

I could use help.  I am working on Rachmaninov's g minor prelude, and I am doing fine on the first and last parts, where it's very percussive, but I'm getting killed in the middle section with the "lush" left hand arpeggios.  I have small hands, which makes things a little tougher, but is there a wrist technique or hand positioning or WHAT that I can use to learn that part?  I sound more like a lush than the piece does!

[russiangirl]

Hi, I have played and performed this piece. It is not difficult if you will use certain fingerings and hand crossing techniques!! Let me know which passages are of concern to you!!!

[robert_henry]

Always practice "lush" passages staccato and leggiero (lightly).  You would be surprised how much easier a passage is after thirty minutes of practicing it that way.  

Hand size doesn't matter.

[dinosaurtales]

:-/

I will certainly try the staccato/leggiero idea - but first - handcrossing?  um.  you mean it's not a lefthand / righthand deal?  I don't know measure numbers, but, as an example, take the first measure of the un poco meno mosso section - left hand.  what fingering did you use?  In which measures of this section did you cross hands?  

[phillipfawcett]

Great piece! Personally i always found Eb major section the hardest ..difficult fistfuls of chords and 8ves.  LH lush middle section ..um .. definately keep the fingerwork light ..almost staccato ..the pedal does the work. Theres no need to achieve a continuous legato or stretchy fingering .. instead skip/move position of the left hand a lot. Also it should help coordination to practise the arpeggios as block chords ..each time there is a change of hand position play it as a chord to get used to the patterns.

[dinosaurtales]

Thanks for the tips!  I will certainly give it a try!  

[rachfan]

In the middle section of the Prelude in g, think of the LH arpeggios as creating a "quiet lake" effect.  The foreground of this music is really the RH melody played tenuto.  The dynamics of the RH follow the rise and fall of the contours of the phrases.  There are also LH fingerings that work best.  If a measure is giving you trouble, I might be able to suggest a fingering.  For instance, at the end of measure 6, the RH plays the last note indicated in the LH part, which may surprise you.  Try it, you'll like it!  Bringing out some of the inner lines in this middle section is crucial.  Do a lot of slow practice without pedal in working up to tempo.  It'll improve the overall fluidity and legato.