An Etude in Prelude's Clothing | Chopin's B-flat minor Prelude, Op. 28 No. 16

Cortot saw Chopin's B-flat minor Prelude as a "descent into the abyss"; Bülow simply named it "Hades." For pianist Fei-Fei, the left hand is on horseback galloping through the "howling wind" of the right hand.
Though plenty challenging, the Prelude is more approachable than it sounds. Fei-Fei demonstrates the specific movements of the hand that foster stamina, facility, and textural variety, and reveals the mental groupings that allow her to compute the thousands of bits of information that constitute the works, which is over in a blink of an eye.
Watch the full lesson on tonebase:
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[@sleeveace223]

Her performance at the end is the single best rendition of this piece ive ever heard. The transition into the second A section where she brings out that te le sol with the most power ive ever heard out of single piano notes and the counter melody she brings out in the transition to the coda are the key moments that make this an S tier performance. Bravo Fei-Fei

[@saikalyan3966]

Kissin!!!!

[@mark-j-adderley]

What a marvelous lesson in discipline and control. First take the piece apart, put each individual note under the microscope to understand its function, imagine a poetic context, give them the breath of life, and then put it all together. Breathtaking.

[@RTGrimmer]

WOW! Never heard Chopin played with such fire! She really gave this piece what it needs, brava.

[@Daniel_Ilyich]

Never? Really?

[@RTGrimmer]

@@Daniel_Ilyich There’s really no need for pedantry. I enjoyed it. Period. Let people like things.

[@lyolevrich]

trop rapide et sans goût

[@EcceHumanitatis]

@@RTGrimmer Amen.

[@Algorox]

She was one of my favorites in the 2010 Chopin Competition. Very underrated pianist!

[@caleblauber1441]

WOW! This was absolutely awesome. And I really enjoyed the lesson that you were giving prior to playing the piece.

[@MrInterestingthings]

Really helpful demonstration here ! I didn't realize a single finger could get that much weight in the keys . Connection with the instrumenr is everything ! Her speaking of the direction and the curve of the gesture really made the fearsome more doable . Practice and body movement ! Her crescendo in the opening is unforgettable .Her pedaling makes a lot of sense !!!Love the way she did the big broken chords near the end !

[@kwgm8578]

Oh, my dear Fei-Fei, what an explosive performance of this Chopin Prelude! Your virtuosity has an overwhelming power. Thank you for the brief but valuable instruction and demonstration of slow practice. I'm looking forward to hearing your insights on Prelude Number 16.

[@GuntherWolfen]

That was the most beautiful and unique interpretation of this piece i've seen. I never had listen so many hidden themes inside the bunch of notes and she was capable to make everything sing, with a truly fire and passion! It's now my favorite version! Thank you very much.

[@Varooooooom]

Videos like this are incredible. The definition of “Perfection is many little things done well.” Also wow, holy WOW 7:17 got tears out of me. Chopin’s music is best when it’s sung, not just simply played. Astounding performance here.

[@pennyjane9906]

yes.. so nice that she brought out the melody in the left and gave it a moment.

[@Karlinberlin1]

Great instruction. Lt - sending the arm back to beginning of each group. Rt. - making sure arm is behind each note.. Thank you.

[@eligarf]

That’s very cool 😎 She shows how important it is to break it down in order to fire it up. Bravo 👏 ThankQ

[@margarethansen7480]

What a fantastic lesson!! What energy and beauty in a hard Prelude! Thanks!!👏❤️👏

[@W-HealthPianoExercises]

Thank you Fei-Fei ! Really stratospheric 💕

[@d.o.7784]

6:58 is very special

[@mr.e8059]

Wow! Just wow. Congratulations, Fei-Fei.

[@ramonchan9732]

I would say this prelude is more difficult than most of his etudes. You need perfect fingers evenness in order to play it fast without messing it up.

[@Mehrshad84]

Then I have to tell you that you are wrong

[@ramonchan9732]

@@Mehrshad84 This is my personal experience. I can play all 24 etudes pretty well but I am still struggling with this prelude. It's the fingerings made this prelude hard, not simply the speed. And I was not saying it is more difficult than all etudes.

[@Mehrshad84]

@@ramonchan9732 oh if its in that case , I have to say I found its fingering a lot more difficult than what I would have imagined

[@FredericChopinReal]

No

[@Homier973]

I learned some etudes like op 10, 1,,4,5,6,7,8 and op 25 ,1,2,5,6,7,8,9,11,12 and I can tell that hades prelude is only a prelude it will never be easier then any Chopin etude the hardest part has to be the technique and hades prelude also contain lots of techniques it is fast and fast runs but Chopin etude is also way more difficult

[@stephenkyambadde7393]

'Sending of the momentum to the last of the 3note figure,,,' Such a Brilliant explanation about the left hand technique.

[@johnclayton5204]

My favorite prelude (one I wish I could play!) I love seeing how the sausage is made and her detailed discussion, especially when she talks about the “two sides” of a single hand. Very cool!

[@deandretate571]

The sheer musicality of this performance is matchless!! That beautiful circle of fourths melody that nobody really hears from 7:17-7:22 was BREATHTAKING!!! Amazing Job!!

[@william_fong]

Wow, Wow, Wow, wonderful interpretation. So refreshing and mind provoking interpretation

[@dimitridemetriades2637]

Fabulous ! Thank you Fei - Fei ! 🌹🌹🌹

[@joonpark3983]

Thanks

[@TimothyGondola]

Fantastic practice techniques I haven’t heard of, thank you so much.

[@angelob.1089]

Fei-Fei is an amazing pianist. I would love to see her cover Chopin’s Rondo Op. 16 on Tonebase. To this day, I haven’t heard anyone play the Rondo as well as Fei-Fei. Great video and instruction.

[@AwKeShen.]

I like the description " An Etude in Prelude's Clothing " for Chopin's B-flat minor Prelude, Op. 28 No. 16 - cannot agree with it more!

[@annegretbarthelmeh2243]

Eine perfekte Klavierstunde für fortgeschrittene Laien und Chopinfans

[@gjtube37]

Thank you for the great lesson!

[@DeuceGenius]

this is so good. im glad i can just watch you play

[@esauponce9759]

Thank you! Amazing performance and good tips.

[@natzhao3260]

This is such an underrated channel

[@dancingisraeli2376]

I had this record when I was young but I didnt know the exactly number name of this study , now Ive got it

[@superblue3684]

You’re right: the picture we have in our mind is a horse running very fast at night!

[@galigomc4809]

Beautiful playing

[@picka1967]

Incroyable

[@tonyping3678]

Thanks for the useful lesson! It really helped with my technique

[@Khloeevanspiano]

Amazing! Great playing and tutorial!

[@dr.george]

😲 Fantastic 👍

[@RolandHuettmann]

Very well explained. Love it. 😚

[@muzicaltel]

Un jeu extraordinaire!

[@richardminnich4249]

I thought that the title of this video was very insightful: a number of the Chopin preludes are ‘etude’ like, not just #16!

[@rothschildianum]

She must have worked on her English really hard. Her English improved dramatically!

[@nguyenkat8991]

WOW so wonderful explanation and demo

[@MusicLover-oe3ig]

Really admire your flawless technique and interpretation, absolutely a brilliant performance!! Thank you so much for the superb lesson!!

[@republiccooper]

I play this piece but watching this today really improved my approach. Thank you, Fei Fei and Tonebase.

[@KingofMoss]

I love you!

[@alchemist6306]

such a great rendition

[@charlessmith263]

In the 5th measure--that Bb pedal point over that Eb minor chord, I know that this is the first pivotal harmonic emotion of that prelude---it extends to the 7th measure before the vii07 chord of Bb minor in measure 8. So I would lead that pedal point starting in the last half of the beat (2nd or 4th) and accent the first half (1st or 3rd), like Geza Anda would do in his recording of the complete 24 Preludes. When the octaves come in, once I hit that first notes in the second halves of the 1st and 3rd beats, I would recoil back to the L side of the keyboard, and stiffen up fingers 1 and 5 (or 4 for black key octaves) to make sure the octaves are accurate, because the octave leaps can be a bit big--like Franz Liszt would have done.

[@syb7239]

Great fei fei wow!!

[@stalkerstomper3304]

Yes. I also liken this to a horse and a rider, but unlike you, I picture the horse is driving YOU and not the other way around. The horse is in complete control... wildy fast control and you're just along for the ride as the pianist.

[@tbarrelier]

OMG!

[@ilpianoforte]

Wonderful. Extraordinary! Can I just ask how many hours you practice a day?

[@joserivas8607]

👏👏👏👏

[@benharmonics]

5:27 6:35

[@OE1FEU]

Interesting. Just like 95% of all pianists her rendition of the piu presto section in the end isn't any faster than the beginning of the piece. Brings about memories of Schumann's tempo descriptions of Op.22, which out of context don't make any sense.

[@william_fong]

I like your interpretation than that of Yundi Li

[@yucatron76]

6:35

[@herbalistanutricionista]

Fuck!!! Bravo señorita

[@adrianreyes2318]

I wonder why Chopin made this Prelude so different from the rest and why it's not an Etude

[@henrysun3191]

鸡皮疙瘩掉一地

[@julianmarcipar4114]

Creo que me enamoré

[@marcoperugini5862]

You cheat at 6:46 , the notes are different, you repeat section A

[@xx133]

😮

[@Bnorma11]

Not sure why this doesn’t sound cohesive ! Too erratic! She can play it but it lacks flow! Good tips however.

[@red-eyedmagister1595]

my ongoing infatuation with Asian (female) classical pianists! and this ain't helpin' any! (ha ha)

[@bidou314]

Que des banalités ! Parler pour ne rien dire, cette vidéo est inutile pour un pianiste normal

[@michaelreich2306]

Alte technische Übungstricks nochmal erklärt. Musikalisch nicht überzeugend. Dieses automatische Roboterspiel scheint heute bei vielen, insbesondere Pianisten aus dem asiatischen Raum, die Norm zu sein. Früher galt es als langweilig, so zu spielen, ohne Gefühl, ohne Emotion.

[@duckisfaction]

Killed poor Chopin. 🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@nihilistlemon1995]

Killed by your absence of intelligence

[@duckisfaction]

@@nihilistlemon1995 😂😂😂

[@roberth7921]

noisy.

[@4ss4ss1n5]

6:34

[@doyoulikemypfp2986]

6:35