Chopin Prelude Opus 28 Number 20

[kirklogan]

Hello, I'm just starting lessons at age 52 and I haven't had any since 18. I'm re-learning this prelude from high school and would like to get constructive feedback. (I read several forum notes about this piece and yes, I used the e flat in the 3rd measure, and I don't really care too much about that one technical item.)

I'm interested in any feedback -- tempo, speed, volume. Pardon my recording -- it's just an iPhone with no special microphone and as a result the volume is flattened considerably.

Thank you for your help.

REVISED...P.S. edit -- I added a somewhat improved recording on 12/31/17...

[pianoplayer002]

Hey, nice work! This prelude is harder than it seems.

I would say you might consider to observe the notated dynamics more closely. Tempo might be a bit on the slow side - the musical line will become easier to follow if it's slightly faster and you'll be able to connect the notes in the melodic line more easily.

I like that you are bringing out the inner voices. you can have a lot of fun with seeing how long melodic lines you can trace in these inner voices, and playing around with how you want to weave them into the music. There is a phrase that's repeated twice, once piano and then pianissimo - maybe bring out the top voice the first time, and the inner voice the second time? Then you can get a bigger color change between the piano and the pianissimo as well. Just an example, there's many ways to do it! 

As for technique - you tend to tense up when playing the chords. It sometimes even looks like you are hitting the piano! Try to avoid pressing down on your hand with your strong arm muscles. Do you see how your shoulders go back almost every time you press down a chord? This happens if you press with the arm. The arm should always be very relaxed and not really "do" anything. The hand should be the leader of everything that happens!

Feel the impulse for the movement down in the fingertips, and allow the hand and arm to simply follow the command given by the fingertips, instead of actively pushing down into the piano with the arm. It's almost as if your fingertips are just weights that you decide to let go of, that sink down and bring the arm, and the keys, with them (don't let your fingers turn to spaghetti when you do this!). If you can find this you will not need to press, because the fingertips will decide the exact speed and distance needed to move to press down the keys for you, and your arm can just remain relaxed in the entire prelude. You will also notice that your shoulders are no longer pushed back on each chord, but there is almost a slight sensation that they follow the hand forward into the piano instead. Hopefully it doesn't sound too complicated, because it feels very simple and natural thing when you "get" it (and the prelude will become more comfortable to play, too)!

[kirklogan]

Dear pianoplayer002,

I'm very touched and honored by the time you took to offer such helpful and meaningful tips. I re-recorded the piece today with (1) slightly faster tempo, I believe 40 bpm avg; (2) recognizing bigger phrases, and (3) really tried to relax shoulders more and in some cases I did and still failed in others.

A few responses to your comments:

1) Agreed on the dynamics -- I think I improved. The iPhone recording is awful and flattens everything (anything soft almost always gets louder). I'll see help on that in a different area/thread.

2) Tempo: Yes, I think I went from about 33/35 bpm to 40 bpm which is still in the lower end of the largo range of 40-60 which I think most scores mark this. I do hear it played way slower sometimes by piano "greats."

3) I like your tip on the variation of interest on the 3rd repeated line. Yes, experimenting on that now :-)

4) Technique: this is huge. Thank you...I am working on it. I have watched some technique videos on the same topic and my new teacher at MacPhail Center for Music immediately said same as you. I promise to get better, but it will take some time.

Thanks again -- really appreciate it.

Of course I will enjoy hearing from others too, and I hope to return the favor.

[kirklogan]

Hello anyone -- I have a "newbie" question. I've read from others that this is supposed to be a funeral dirge and a few people have written that the piece should be played as if there is a funeral procession in front of the audience, then it moves over the hill (thus the softening).

I can see the color and interest of all that...but...

1. Is this in fact what Chopin intended? I've also seen this called the "Chord Prelude" -- I realize as an artist I can interpret it the way I want, but I am keenly interested: IS THIS IN FACT A FUNERAL DIRGE or has that been  "myth" of sorts started by piano teachers, ha ha?

2. If in fact it is a dirge or a slow march, then I am surprised at all the professional recordings with HUGE tempo variations -- that just wouldn't fit with a slow march. It should be pretty much steady except maybe at the end, when you could imagine a coffin being set down slowly.

3. If in fact it is a funeral march, and the procession recedes into the distance, then why is it common for the crescendo in volume to be at the end? Doesn't make sense.

---

Given what little I know, I prefer this to be more of a chord procession. I hear moments of beauty and joy, and I hear overall melancholy and it really seems amazing to hear the chords on a beautiful piano (which I don't have, but I'm grateful anyway).

I suppose people here will perhaps inform me of notes or lectures from Chopin's time -- that would be great! Or maybe, it is truly "up to you as an artist" -- and that is the joy of performing other people's music, but I really value knowing the options and context so I can try to make good decisions.

Thanks for your patience, if you read through this...

[pianoplayer002]

Dear pianoplayer002,

I'm very touched and honored by the time you took to offer such helpful and meaningful tips. I re-recorded the piece today with (1) slightly faster tempo, I believe 40 bpm avg; (2) recognizing bigger phrases, and (3) really tried to relax shoulders more and in some cases I did and still failed in others.

You have improved it a lot, good work! Especially the increase in tempo is much welcome. You look much more relaxed now also. Watch out for the occasional place where you rush to the next chord ahead of the beat. Counting loud and ensuring that your voice controls the flow of the music (and not the other way around) works like a charm for this type of problem.

A few responses to your comments:

1) Agreed on the dynamics -- I think I improved. The iPhone recording is awful and flattens everything (anything soft almost always gets louder). I'll see help on that in a different area/thread.

I was more thinking about changes in dynamics when it's not written in the score. There is still some of that - for example, the start is in forte, but then you play a few of the chords much softer. I think following the score as closely as possible is a good habit to have - you still have huge possibilities to be creatively free on top of that!

4) Technique: this is huge. Thank you...I am working on it. I have watched some technique videos on the same topic and my new teacher at MacPhail Center for Music immediately said same as you. I promise to get better, but it will take some time.

It's already much better and no rush! My favourite question for evaluating technical progress is - does it feel better/easier? Improving technique can (and should!) be a completely selfish thing - because it just helps everything in your playing to become more easy, enjoyable and controlled. What's not to like in that?

Hello anyone -- I have a "newbie" question. I've read from others that this is supposed to be a funeral dirge and a few people have written that the piece should be played as if there is a funeral procession in front of the audience, then it moves over the hill (thus the softening).

I can see the color and interest of all that...but...

1. Is this in fact what Chopin intended? I've also seen this called the "Chord Prelude" -- I realize as an artist I can interpret it the way I want, but I am keenly interested: IS THIS IN FACT A FUNERAL DIRGE or has that been  "myth" of sorts started by piano teachers, ha ha?

2. If in fact it is a dirge or a slow march, then I am surprised at all the professional recordings with HUGE tempo variations -- that just wouldn't fit with a slow march. It should be pretty much steady except maybe at the end, when you could imagine a coffin being set down slowly.

3. If in fact it is a funeral march, and the procession recedes into the distance, then why is it common for the crescendo in volume to be at the end? Doesn't make sense.

---

Given what little I know, I prefer this to be more of a chord procession. I hear moments of beauty and joy, and I hear overall melancholy and it really seems amazing to hear the chords on a beautiful piano (which I don't have, but I'm grateful anyway).

I suppose people here will perhaps inform me of notes or lectures from Chopin's time -- that would be great! Or maybe, it is truly "up to you as an artist" -- and that is the joy of performing other people's music, but I really value knowing the options and context so I can try to make good decisions.

I think Chopin didn't say anything about a specific program for this piece so we can't know for sure what he intended. Having your own emotional/poetic image for what the music is conveying always helps.

It think there is plenty of evidence supporting that it is a sorrowful piece though, just by observing how it's written; it's in minor, it's slow and heavy - no big excitement, it's got big, rich, heavy chords, the two last lines are falling - and falling motions, especially chromatic ones, are often associated with sorrow (it just sounds heavy and mournful, as opposed to melodies that rise and climb), and then there's that dotted rhythm that's often associated with marches, as well as the regular, even progression of chords that would be fitting for a march, so it's similar to other "funeral" marches. What specific images you attach to that, if any, is up to the imagination of the performer (you might also just go for the general feeling of great sorrow without any "program").

If you'd say, that this piece is about a proud elephant trumpeting, I would say, ok, it's up to you, but I think it's unlikely, and that interpretations based on the type of "evidence" suggested above might help you perform the piece in a way that in my opinion is more convincing. In general I think most music has an underlying foundation in some type of human emotion being expressed, and a lot of the skill as an interpreter lies in identifying the various emotions present in the music and conveying them as clearly (with your craftmanship and knowledge) and honestly (with your pure intentions - you seem to have this down already!) as possible.

And I do think even proffessional pianists can make wonky interpretations I don't agree with!

[daniele1234]

Listen to the Cortot recording (greatest Chopin/Schumann pianist ever IMO): 

&t=1s at 27:57 time (recoding 1927 - better than above)

He takes in about 1:20, which might be just an inch too fast, but my god the way he plays that prelude (and all them) is simply one of the greatest performances of any musician of any piece ever.

[mjames]

Cortot doesn't express sorrow, he expresses the maestoso/majesty in Chopin. While many others try (and fail) to show us a grieving Chopin, Cortot pounds the music with his impeccable and imposing personality. That to me is part of the reason why I find his music so thrilling and in regards to Chopin, refreshing.

Having said all that, he is still a terrible role model for beginners. ;P

[pianoplayer002]

Listen to the Cortot recording (greatest Chopin/Schumann pianist ever IMO):  

&t=1s at 27:57 time (recoding 1927 - better than above)

He takes in about 1:20, which might be just an inch too fast, but my god the way he plays that prelude (and all them) is simply one of the greatest performances of any musician of any piece ever.

+1 for Cortot! The videos linked are the same recording though - just in different restorations. Cortot recorded the preludes in 1926, 1933, 1942 as well as an unpublished recording from 1957 (now available on CD) where he is severely hampered by his Parkinson's. There are a few takes of preludes from the first half of the opus from 1927/28, but not of the c minor that I'm aware of. Here is the 1933 recording for reference:

=1646