The most powerful moment in a soft piece isn't the last note – it's the silence after it. Here's how to make sure yours lands the way it deserves to.
Join Seymour Bernstein as he re-introduces you to one of Chopin's most popular and tragic works, the E Minor Prelude, Op. 28 No. 4. In this in-depth lesson, Bernstein not only demonstrates the physical mechanics necessary to realize your expressive intentions in this work, he reveals how the Prelude contains information crucial to your general development as a pianist.<br><br>After performing the work, Bernstein deals with the opening melodic line, showing how to properly execute a two note slur so that it cries with Chopin. The first phrase demonstrates Chopin's predilection for chromatic harmony, and Bernstein helps you navigate the left hand chords while reminding you to stay within the proper metrical framework, 'alla breve.'<br><br>While the interpretation is ultimately up to you, there are some aspects of the music that are set in stone. Bernstein, referring to the original manuscript, draws your attention to Chopin's placement of "hairpins," before revealing a discovery he made about their proper interpretation. According to Brahms and Fanny Mendelssohn, hairpins indicate not only a swell in dynamics but rhythmic flexibility as well.<br><br>Bernstein moves on to discuss Bach's influence on Chopin, as evinced by the four-part chorale texture that pervades the work, and demonstrates how to properly voice the individual notes of a chord. Finally, he shows you how to properly balance the two hands to achieve an effective crescendo.<br><br>These insights aren't only intended to enhance your playing but to develop your emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being as a human being.
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