F. Chopin - Prelude no. 7 in A major Op. 28 no. 7 - analysis. Greg Niemczuk's lecture

[@markcianciolo9384]

You have deepened my understanding of the piece. And of Chopin.

[@gregniemczuk]

Happy to hear that!

[@Siegfriedclassical]

I dont know if you'll read this, but I allways thought that this prelude was just written when Chopin started to get better from his lung disease. Like how he would feel better for some bit, but then would fall back down into sickness. This prelude shows that so well! This piece also gives the feeling of when you remember funny things while trying to fall asleep, and just start laughing in your bed, in the complete dark. Also your extention of this prelude is beautiful! I know this video is old, but would you consider publishing sheet music of your extended version? I know its not complete, but its more, and more is good! ❤

[@gregniemczuk]

I read this! And I love your interpretation! Thanks!

[@s.n.b5511]

My favorite rendition of your performance in no.7 from the analysis is the ‘longing for someone’ version. Thank you, Greg!

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you!

[@lenatelehanova5297]

Oczywiście muzyka jest językiem uniwersalnym. Ale wracając do tematu ostatniego czwartkowego spotkania, nawet Pan sobie nie wyobraża, jak ważna jest ta pańska wersja po angielsku, choć dla Pana jest to praca podwójna. Np. auto tłumaczenie na rosyjski jest po prostu fatalne, czasami sens jest kompletnie zniekształcony, tyle cennych niuansów ginie. (Wyobrażam sobie, jak zabawne mogą być moje własne komentarze z tego samego powodu, za co przy okazji przepraszam). Jak się cieszę, że znam choć trochę polskiego i słucham Pana w oryginalnej wersji. Pańska praca jest po prostu bezcenna! Dziękuję ×10!

[@ameliacroftsdailey935]

I could listen to another whole hour of you analyzing this short prelude, which I always felt so deeply connected to in some mystical way. So fascinating how the same notes can evoke different feelings based solely on the intentions of the pianist. Thank you for sharing!

[@Siegfriedclassical]

I am happy I have found someone who feels the exact same as me!

[@joannawronska4100]

SO WONDERFUL AS ALWAYS!!!!! Thank you for my favourite Chopin's Prelude known as "Polski Tancerz" (my first Chopin's piece I learned to play in my childhood, similarly as Prelude Op.28 No.4) 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 evening. Joanna

[@izabellamardo1074]

Amei descobrir o seus vídeos

[@stephaniecheng8483]

Thanks for your good sharing, it’s let me open and follow my imagination when practicing the beautiful song recently.

[@danielagmsz]

Thank you very much for the lessons. Great vídeos!

[@izabellamardo1074]

Este preludio é belíssimo muito obrigada

[@gregniemczuk]

Sim!!!

[@izabellamardo1074]

Amo ouvir suas análises traduzidas. Um presente valioso

[@gregniemczuk]

Obrigado!!!!

[@seansmart2756]

Such a well known Prelude and so beautifully played. I really appreciate the history you share, setting the scene at the time. This isn’t often covered! I’d love to hear you continue this with your own composition. That would be interesting! Good luck with your scholarship deadline!

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you very much!!!

[@scalenescott]

@Sean Smart I second this sentiment. Greg's continuation was intriguing!

[@Gavrel_1]

谢谢您的讲解！🥰

[@ΜιλτιάδηςΒιτσικουνάκης]

Splendid, as always !!! Little music equivalent, however, to the highest peak of splendour !!! Thank you so much, Mo Niemczuk, for this guided and fascinating ascent !!!

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you! Happy to see you back 😊😊😊

[@ΜιλτιάδηςΒιτσικουνάκης]

@@gregniemczuk My pleasure and honor !!!

[@findthebug]

cool video thanks

[@ssenaratne]

Thank you.. extremely useful.. ardently following you. I too play these preludes. After listening to you interpretation has become so meaningful

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you so much! Welcome to my musical world! Good luck!

[@sevenheart7353]

Thanks!

[@BS38114]

Learning this right now on classical guitar, ( the first piece from non guitar composers ), but this is a must.

[@PabluchoViision]

I appreciate your loving and insightful approach(es) to this deceptively simple piece. And, the powerful empathy unleashed by imagining Chopin in Mallorca, disoriented, plagued by worries, the publisher’s deadline and the banker’s loan looming over him like dark, menacing storm clouds…. It is so easy for us to think of the “great man” and overlook the troubles, fears, pressures he faced. Chopin was not “the immortal Chopin,” just a man. Musical question: Could this prelude not also be approached as a kind of waltz? Thank you for your superb teaching.

[@gregniemczuk]

Yes, It can be a Waltz of course! Yes, very good point. It's great you wrote this comment here. Thanks!

[@richardarcher3435]

I've just seen the first 7 minutes of your video and no, I disagree about it not feeling finished. For me it is a perfect complete piece, I do not feel it needs to carry on at all. Those last chords finish it off perfectly. I've always considered this piece a wonderfull little gem, and a superb example of less is more. I do not always agree with that term, sometimes less can actually be less, but in this case I think it works as 'more', and after all, remember it is a prelude 😀

[@bec1038]

inspiring

[@Bova13]

lovely! I prefer the longin type of playing this prelude.

[@NN-rn1oz]

Great analysis again! I agree with you that this is not mazurka. I tried many times to play it in mazurka style, because the mood of the piece is vaguely reminiscent of a mazurka, but I agree it sounds very strange if we play it like one! For some time, this made me doubt my understanding of mazurkas! As such, your statements are reassuring to me.

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you for this comment. Of course it's not!!! Chopin would have never write a Mazurka and call it a Prelude!

[@4STLife]

Thank you for the video, but I have a question on bar/measure 13? rt hand, how would you finger it?😢

[@ychu01]

A-major follows very well from the previous No. 6 (B-minor). It releases the tension from the B-minor, a gleam of sun light following the gloomy raining day, so to speak.

[@gregniemczuk]

Yes. You described it fantastically

[@godlikesnake8909]

The big chord around 12:28 what notes are you using? I have been rolling the chord out but I want to try playing a chord which seems to be how its played by most pianists.

[@gregniemczuk]

Notes or fingers?

[@fredrutter610]

Bearing in mind that Chopin had to compose and delivery 24 preludes to a deadline in order to get much needed money, isn’t it possible that preludes 7 and 8 were originally composed as a single prelude? However, that would have left him one prelude short. I think no. 7 could perhaps be seen as a kind of overture for prelude 8. Just a thought.

[@gregniemczuk]

Could be......

[@xllab1]

You played a really beautiful variation. Could you please tell me what you played ?

[@gregniemczuk]

What exactly do you mean

[@xllab1]

​@@gregniemczuk at 7:10 it looks like you played a melody using g, f, e, d, a, c, b, d, c, a and g in the right hand. Do you remember what accompaniment you used in the left?

[@gregniemczuk]

@@xllab1 aw, that was spontaneous

[@lautarotrefilio4773]

tip learn functional harmony and apply it by looking for it actively in music you like you will be able to figure this out and much more with this, if you listen with intent

[@sunareekaewnat8967]

Greg I want to offer another plausible explanation of this and the other short ‘charming” preludes. As you noted in your discussion of the first G minor nocturne, Chopin was a fan of Shakespeare. In his tragedies, a common device of Shakespeare was to have short comedic or non-dramatic scenes after certain scenes of great drama or dark actions. Given that the preludes as a whole were a vehicle for so many pieces of a painful or suffering character, maybe Chopin wanted to balance the preludes as a whole even if they were not to be played as a complete piece. If one looks at the nocturnes as a whole. He wrote 11 major and 10 minor pieces, but Opus 32 No.1 I think should be viewed as almost a hybrid given its unique character. I also have a question regarding the degree of his financial need. Why could he not have just gone to Liszt for help? At this point wasn’t their friendship well established? Liszt had both a history (with Berlioz) and penchant for the rest of his life of helping fellow artists in their times of need and he clearly knew that Chopin had enormous talent that would manifest in future compositions and that Chopin was not an irresponsible spendthrift as Wagner was.

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you for this comment. Well, probably Chopin was too proud to ask Liszt to a help. Or they were not THAT close? Or he wanted to prove himself that he can do it? Or it was not popular that time to ask for money.....

[@sunareekaewnat8967]

@@gregniemczuk Then Wagner came along and asked everyone for money!

[@tsizzle]

Which is easier to learn or harder to master, this or Prelude Op 28. No. 20 in C minor?

[@gregniemczuk]

I think that C minor

[@trzpiotkakokietka8673]

Czyli całe preludium jest jednym okresem muzycznym? Myślałam że są tam 2 okresy

[@gregniemczuk]

Tak, jeden!

[@nina.beatriz]

I love listening to your analyses of the preludes and etudes :) After listening to your thoughts on Prelude No. 7, I was inspired to learn the "little Mazurka" myself. I hope you don't mind me sharing my version in the comment section: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGqydYSndryKbJY Thank you Greg for all your insights! You inspire me to become better at playing the piano. And I can't wait to attend your concert in Zurich in September!

[@gregniemczuk]

Thank you Nina! Lovely yo hear your version!!! I'm so happy to be an inspiration for people from many different countries and backgrounds. It's awesome! I also can't wait to play in Zurich!! Tickets should be on sale in two weeks. See you there!