Chopin Preludes Op28 no3... fingering question.

[tocca]

I've just started with this Prelude the day before yesterday.
It's a nice little piece and it would be good for my, not so good, lefthand technique i thought.

I wanted to ask about a particular place where i have a some problems though, it's in bar 7 to 11, where the fingering feels awquard.
For example: Going down: B, A, G, F#, E, D then up E, F#, then down to A and then down to D.
The fingering in the book is: 1,2,3,4,1,3,2,1,2,5
I've tried to find a more comfortable fingering without sucess.

It's supposed to be quite fast, sixteenth notes at Vivace and that's no problem on the other bars. Maybe i just need to practise this more?

If anyone has played this Prelude, did you use the above fingering?

[tocca]

Well i've practised quite a bit on this Prelude now and i'm going with the fingering suggested in the score. It's still a bit awquard at thoose places i mentioned but it's getting better.
I "can" play thoose bars at speed, but it's a strain and i'm not relaxed. When i get through the difficult bars and the easier ones return i can really feel how the lefthand/wrist relaxes.

I'll keep practising. It will get better i'm sure.

[erik38]

Are you familiar with Charles Rosen's book "The Romantic Generation"? If not, here is a short quote that may interest you:

"....The challenge comes from Chopin's ruthlessness:  he makes, as I have said, no concession....sometimes, with the increase of tension and dissonance, the figuration quickly becomes almost unbearably awkward to play.  The Prelude in G Major give us a typical example...the opening bar is as comfortable as one could want....A few bars later, however, the black keys turn the figure into a steeplechase, yet the hurdles of the black keys must be negotiated with elegance and ease, and without interrupting the flow...Played with the absolute evenness and lightness demanded by the context, these two bars [the ones you pointed out] are among the most difficult ever written"(381-82).

So don't feel too bad if you don't get it right...I never have...

By the way, I highly recommend all Rosen's books...

[tocca]

Are you familiar with Charles Rosen's book "The Romantic Generation"? If not, here is a short quote that may interest you:

No i haven't read that book, sounds interesting i'll have a look for it.
It's very comforting reading thoose lines, maybe not helpful... but atleast i know it's not a problem just for me!
I've taken a brake from thoose bars for a few days, i could feel i was beginning to build up tension and i think i need to take it slower, not trying to force thoose bars up to speed.

My left hand has always been lacking, i really need to play more pieces with fast lefthand stuff to improve it. My scales for examples. The right and left hand are a world apart!

[lostinidlewonder]

Try seeing the LH semiquavers throughout the entire piece in these groups.

-1(the last note of the previous bar) to 7 *
8 to 12
13 to 15

*While practicing you can connect the previous bar to the next, but when peforming you can give more length the first note of every bar in the LH instead of making it sound like it is within the legato tie of the previous bar.

So when you practice you play the last note of the previous bar all the way to the 7th semiquaver of the next without a break, then pause between the 7 and 8, and then continue on. This makes the fingering groups more logical connected to the sound rather than seeing it as just 4 groups of 4. You shouldn't aim to give accents to the first note of each group since they are encompassed by a legato tie so they all just should sound connected.

[tomclear]

 Thank you, eric38!
 This board is so helpful, sometimes.
 I've struggled with that transition for two years now, and was thinking seriously
 of giving up:  Now I can't wait to practice!
 Have you listened to Cortot's 1935 recording of this prelude? It's astonishing.

[erik38]

  Have you listened to Cortot's 1935 recording of this prelude? It's astonishing.

Have not heard Cortot's recording yet, but I must admit that Kissin's recording is quite astonishing as well...although I'm not a huge fan of his in general...that prelude is short enough that you can get the entire performance on the Amazon and/or Tower records sample clips!  The left hand techinque is...well ya just gotta take a listen....

[tocca]

Have not heard Cortot's recording yet, but I must admit that Kissin's recording is quite astonishing as well...although I'm not a huge fan of his in general...that prelude is short enough that you can get the entire performance on the Amazon and/or Tower records sample clips!  The left hand techinque is...well ya just gotta take a listen....

Well, i started searching and you were correct. At Tower records they do have a sample of Kissin playing this Prelude... and the sample is the whole piece! 
Thank you for that tips.


Here's the link:
https://www.towerrecords.com/product.aspx?pfid=1813510

[tomclear]

 The Internet in general , and this board in particular, are proving to
 be my conservatory.
 Thanks, all!
 Play well!