F. Chopin - Prelude no. 1 C-major Op. 28 no. 1 - analysis. Greg Niemczuk's lecture

[@jean-francois.duchauffour]

I am working on this first prelude, and as always, your explanations are very usefull ! The long introduction in which I learned a lot and then so inspiring when you explain the 2 voices. Peace Greg...

[@elyeastman3439]

I decided to pick up Chopin again after many years not playing classical music. This is a piece I have always wanted to play.

[@vaagnavakian508]

Thanks very much for the introduction giving the context of this wonderful composition and your insightful analysis of the piece. As to emphasising the lower voice (G.-A, G.-A, G.-A etc), I find absolutely amazing Cortot’s old recording of this prelude. During my practicing of C-dur I was so drawn to Cortot that I unconsciously “modelled” my own playing after him, who perhaps emphasised the lower voice almost to the extreme, but as everything he did in Romanticism period music sounded so strong and convincing. Of course by contemporary sterile standards such pianism as Cortot’s or Schnabel’s is considered to be unacceptable, Cortot’s notorious false and sometimes even missing notes is thought to be appalling, but to me the first half of 20th century pianism is still the best and unsurpassed phenomenon of penetration into the very heart of Romanticism era. I’d happily trade all robotic Chinese keyboard typing of nowadays for a few messed up bars played by Cortot) P.S. Sokolov, Pletnev I think also emphasise the lower voice in C-dur prelude.

[@zdzislawmeglicki2262]

It is often said by distinguished musicians, including yourself, and musicologists that Chopin thought of Bach when he wrote his preludes. But he didn't write fugues, and he ordered them by tonal, not chromatic progression, just as Hummel, Chopin's private idol upon whose concertos he styled his own two, did. And, yes, Hummel wrote a set of 24 tiny preludes, as you rightly point out, each no more than two or three lines of music, much like Chopin's C-major, passing through all major and minor keys. The brevity of Chopin's first prelude suggests a similar idea, but then he quickly grows out of it and makes his preludes more substantial. Hummel, almost completely forgotten, is worth listening to, the preludes, the concertos, if only to appreciate why Chopin liked his music so much. Hummel was a Mozart's student after all and hugely successful in his day.

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you for this worthy comment!

[@andream.464]

After your excellent explanation, I was missing just one point to be understood which is why does Chopin, between bars 18 and 25 organises each bar in quintuplets, moving the base note to hit together with the lower melody line: my view is that bar 18 is the moment to privilege the lower melody over the top one. Whilst writing this I understood that that’s exactly what brings out in his interpretation!

[@michelangelovaccaro8191]

I watched all the previous videos and finally got to preludes, can’t wait to watch their analysis!

[@gregniemczuk]

Wow!!! Amazing!!! Have a great Journey through them. And congratulations on watching everything before it!!!!

[@gregniemczuk]

I'm so impressed

[@lucacorda1794]

MOLTO INTERESSANTE!!!! GRAZIE INFINITE PER IL SUO LAVORO DI RICERCA COSÌ APPASSIONATO . CONDIVIDO MOLTE DELLE SUE IDEE E PENSIERI. È MOLTO PIACEVOLE E ISTRUTTIVO ASCOLTARLA . SEGUIRÒ CON INTERESSE TUTTE LE SUE ANALISI. BRAVO . GRAZIE PER LE SUE LEZIONI

[@PetitePianista]

Thank you very much for your analysis and for give us the context of the Chopin’s Preludes. You are so nice 😊.

[@laurie7357]

Preludes!! Yay! 😍

[@joannawronska4100]

SO WONDERFUL AS ALWAYS AND IMPORTANT!!!!! Thank you for my favourite Chopin's Prelude known as "Ponowne Połączenie" in an excellent rendition and for your analysis/tutorial, this great video will be helpful for many pianists, again my best regards, have a nice weekend. Joanna

[@fungirene1520]

I found it much easier to play this prelude by emphasizing the repeats in the lower and upper voice. I am amazed by your analytical abilities and your eye, ears, and mind that sees all the details you have so generously shared with all who tuned in to your videos.

[@fungirene1520]

the above is not from me

[@zamyrabyrd]

Absolutely brilliant in finding the connecting motives of the 2nds in all the preludes! Hats off! Would you say there are three phrases here of 8, 16 and 10 measures? Evgeny Kissin by the way, does bring out the tenor voice in this prelude.

[@fungirene1520]

In fact Chopin held the first note' duration till the second note, so it's amazing how so many pianists did not notice it.

[@fungirene1520]

this is not from me

[@sunareekaewnat8967]

During the recent Van Cliburn competition, I saw two pianists struggle terribly (and be eliminated) playing all 24 Chopin preludes together. Both had relatively large hands and I was curious whether the ubiquitous presence of the seconds (the interval) throughout actually presents a physical as opposed to artistic reason why they should not be treated as a single work. That being said, I think there are some great live recordings (Martha Argerich) that have been captured.

[@nicoleaube4729]

Interesting question…

[@PrinzoTheCat]

Very nice video with a lot of interesting background information. I have not yet noticed that these second steps occur in every prelude. I'm already looking forward to your entire series of analysis videos on the preludes! I love these pieces. As a beginner, most of them are unfortunately quite difficult to learn. Thank you very much!

[@correasilvio2010]

Congratulations from Brazil!

[@gregniemczuk]

Obrigado!

[@correasilvio2010]

@@gregniemczuk i have a one Clássic Music in KZbin too! Thank you!

[@upsidedalla]

Bravo! Grazie

[@richardyu4881]

I think there’re quite a few recent recordings championing the 24 preludes as one cohesive work. It may not have been Chopin’s idea, but I find these interpretations very convincing. After hearing one prelude, my mind immediately anticipates the next one, to the point that if I hear them played as individual pieces, I find them unsatisfying.

[@gregniemczuk]

Yes, we got used to them. But I also love recitals when pianists okay a selection of then. Rachmaninoff was doing it often, but also many other great pianists

[@NN-rn1oz]

It will be interesting to see which edition you choose when there are differences between editions (e.g., bar 32 of prelude #13, or bar 3 of prelude #20). Keep up the good work!

[@Sitbon08]

Very helpful. I came here mainly for an analysis of the first prelude, so please consider re-editing so the first 20min as separate introductory video providing a background to the preludes. Tips on how to approach practicing the preludes would be welcome.

[@gregniemczuk]

Aw, thank you!! Maybe I simply add timing in the description, so that people can skip the introduction. Thanks for your patience and a worthy comment! Yes I'm thinking of such videos, first about etudes and than maybe also Preludes

[@bjrnevn]

What a treasure this channel is! I've enjoyed many of your videos and look forward to further explorations. Btw, I'm concidering learning the complete preludes but they are still quite intimidating for me, having played only the Barcarolle and Polonaise Fantasie(big pieces still..) Do you find the complete set to be such a gargantuan challenge as I regard them?

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you!!! Oh yes... I'm still afraid of them... I'm going to record them probably this year but I'm still afraid of re-learning the whole cycle.... Good luck!

[@bjrnevn]

@@gregniemczuk Looking forward to your recording! warm regards from Norway:)

[@Jbgoat]

Please could you give me information about the bibliography you use in your videos ? I love your videos by the way

[@gregniemczuk]

Mieczysław Tomaszewski - Chopin - the man, his work and resonance, Ferdynand Hoesick - Chopin(this might only be in Polish), Jean-Jacques Eigeldinger - Chopin as seen by his pupils, Alan Walker - Chopin,

[@SuperTicklemonsters]

@@gregniemczuk Have you read Alan Walker's biography of Chopin? It's excellent!

[@PedroStreicher]

I totaly understand your comparison between Chopin's and Bach's preludes, but Bach's also have them in major minor major minor and so on... The diference is that Bach's preludes is based on cromaticism as you said, but Chopin's preludes otherwise was based on the circle of fitfhs. Cromatic Progression: Major C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B Minor C C# D Eb E F F# G Ab A Bb B Circle of fitfhs Progression: Major C G D A E B F# C# Ab Eb Bb F Minor A E B F# C# Ab Eb Bb F C G D Just trying to help those who are not musicians... And the circle of fitfhs is simple to understand if you search on Google.

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you!!!!

[@rafaelguerra695]

Very useful information! Could it be that the obsession with the interval of a second comes from his own name? ( CH opin ).

[@gregniemczuk]

Who knows? It can! Like in the Fantasy in F-minor the beginning is F-C . Good point!

[@rogercarroll2551]

Most virtuoso performances of the first prelude are way too fast. Chopin's marking is agitato, NOT presto.

[@gregniemczuk]

Yes!

[@kevindam8694]

Chopin had a cheap piano in Majorca, before his real piano arrived. I read from Paul Kildea book that Chopin wrote the preludes on this cheap piano

[@ГалинаДуманская-ж4о]

😍💖🎹💖

[@zenrazor659]

Non spieghi niente! E io dovrei pagare per niente?

[@gregniemczuk]

?

[@michelangelovaccaro8191]

Lol