how to practice fioriture?

[jeffok]

Hello All.

I'm relatively new to the forum but have enjoyed my explorations here a great deal over the last week.

One piece I've worked on many times over the past decade or so is Chopin's Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise. I'm not good enough to do a great job with the piece (I tend to have a fairly high "wrong note quotient") but I can bash my way through it enough to enjoy it. However, I've never really "gotten" more than the first couple of fioriture in the Andante spianato.

As a newbie to the forum, before asking my question, let me say that I have searched for a previous thread or other advice on how to practice fioriture.

So, what methods would you recommend?

What I do (which apparently isn't enough):

1. Simple alternating dotted rhythms.
2. Dotted rhythms in groups of 3 or 4.
3. Fast groups of five, shifting one note to the right after working each group. (I'm told that groups of 7 are effective too.)
4. Staccatissimo practice using mostly the fingers (rather than the whole hand) for the attacks.


Any further suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

best wishes,
jeff ok

[chopinlover01]

Before doing those, high fingered, legato, double forte practice is very therapeutic and helps really get whatever you're playing into your fingers.

[debussychopin]

...what is 'fioriture' ??

[chopinlover01]

It's the plural of fioritura, which in this case means passagework like this:

[debussychopin]

Oh thanks.

You mean a cadenza?

[chopinlover01]

Sort of; it refers to a specific concept often used in contemporary Italian opera (of which Chopin was a major fan) similar in nature to what we might call a falseto today.

[jeffok]

"Fioritura" is an Italian word which can be translated as "flowering". (The plural form uses "e" at the end of the word instead of "a".) Fioriture are particularly common in Chopin but are widely scattered throughout 19th Century piano music (as well as some from the late 18th Century). Fioriture are usually performed within the main rhythmic flow of the piece although they often use some application of rubato.

In solo piano music, the term "cadenza" is more properly applied to a passage (often printed in small notes as firoriture usually are) that occurs somewhat "outside of" the main flow of the piece.

Just trying to clarify.

best wishes,
jeff ok

[mrcreosote]

To me, the middle melodic section of Rach's G minor Prelude, the left hand accompaniment arpeggios are "fioriture" - it flows like water and is only synced with the slow melody, but not always.

The thought of playing that Chopin at strict tempo is, painful.
.