![]() I pointed to the instructions at the top of the score, guidance transmitted from Frederic Chopin to the musician. The music’s cuts were multifaceted, the color translucent yet of a vital blood-red, the depths entrancing. It’s commonly referred to as the Raindrop Prelude.” He cranked down the bench to accommodate his long legs. “I know what you want.”Īt my next lesson, Stephen arrayed on the music stand three pages of sheet music, the number 15 preceding the first measure. Stephen’s voice admitted a grudging defeat. “I want to enjoy myself when I practice,” I told Stephen, “I want something more….” I shaped my hands in a sphere, trying to describe music that would feel more integral to my soul. After completing the second Sonatina, and dreading the thought of four remaining, I staged a revolt. And as promised, inside his Six Sonatinas for the Piano, Muzio Clementi had tucked repeated thirds, arpeggios, and partial scales, with the intent of strengthening the pianist’s command of musical building blocks. My piano teacher Stephen felt that after a 25-year hiatus from the piano, I needed to work on my technique. When I returned to the piano shortly after my 40th birthday, at first I dutifully studied the Clementi Sonatinas. Williams performing Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude in recital at Carnegie Hall. The chords in the left hand are arpeggiated however according to Siloti's daughter Kyriena (to whom the work was dedicated), he would omit the arpeggiation on the first pass and restore it on the repeat in order to heighten the effect of the left-hand melody.Nancy M. Siloti also adds a repeat of the entire work, in order to allow for a change of voicing where the melody in the left hand is emphasized. It transposes Bach's original down from the original E minor into B minor, with the steady sixteenth note figuration that was originally given by Bach to the left hand being instead assigned to the right hand. Siloti’s arrangement of JS Bach’s Prelude in E minor in the first book of The Well Tempered Clavier, originally composed in 1722, has been described as possibly Siloti's most tender and perfect of transcriptions. Moreover, there’s high finesse in his control of nuance and ability to create subtle, intense atmospheres (the ‘Raindrop’ Prelude is truly special).” ( Now Available on )Įric lives up to this high praise in these lovely recordings of the two Chopin Preludes referenced earlier:Įric chose to perform this next piece as an encore at the 12th International Music Festival “Chopin and His Europe” from Italy to Poland – from Mozart to Bellini, Warsaw, 15–30 August 2016. This type of sensitivity and emotional intuition does not grow on trees, especially not when served by such a technique, with richly singing tone and delicate fleetness of finger. His excitement was contagious as he shared all of the wonderful performance opportunities that had been afforded to him since winning the US Competition.” Since then, Eric has been selected to step in for Martha Argerich in Singapore, and Nelson Freire in Sao Paulo.īBC’s Music Magazine recently published a review of Eric’s recording by Jessica Duchan who wrote, “Lu’s playing is in a rare class – one that has a vacancy since Radu Lupu’s retirement. Our conversation took place just before Eric was scheduled to debut at the 2019 BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. ![]() “It had been 4 years since we first met at the Competition in Miami and the transformation from a somewhat shy 17-year-old to a mature, well-spoken, and experienced 21-year-old artist was remarkable. “It was a real treat to sit with Eric outside at a café in the heart of Warsaw,” said Muze. Keeping up with EricĮxecutive Director, Barbara Muze caught up with Eric last summer when he was a featured artist at the “Chopin and his Europe” Festival presented by The Fryderyk Chopin Institute. Eric shares his thoughts on this repertoire in the beautifully filmed interview above. The three works Eric chose for this project, which is part of his Gold Medal award package from the 2018 Leeds Competition, each present unique beauty and challenges, yet when put together they flow from one to the other in pleasant synchronicity: Chopin's 24 Préludes, Brahms's Intermezzo No.1, and Schumann’s Ghost Variations. Last month saw the anticipated release of Eric’s first studio recording on Warner Classics. We sincerely hope all of our members and subscribers are keeping safe and healthy and since our live concerts are currently not possible, we invite you to enjoy these specially curated programs online!įor this week’s Chopin Salon at home we have the pleasure of highlighting the continuing success of the First Prize Winner of the 9th National Chopin Piano Competition held in 2015 – Eric Lu! While the Chopin Foundation’s physical office are closed to comply with stay at home orders, we are working online and are excited to present the second edition of Chopin Salons Home.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |