Arguably one of the most underrated Chopin pieces. For one the melody is gorgeous, of course. Two the harmonic structure is astounding. So much happens in merely 5 minutes. All in the most simple, elegant way possible.
SO much happens... remember learning it 20+ years ago, and not knowing what the key signature was from bar to bar. Also incredibly difficult to maintain singing lines, a tricky left hand part everywhere, and yet all has to be played in total serenity and calm (although the important moments also have to be communicated as they arise).
It is basically a definition of Romanticism, period. Haunting yet beautiful melodies, multiple modulations, an insightful tempo - it’s as though he’s actually talking to each one of us - something personal and deep. Exceptional piece.
Many thanks for the recording and the info. Love this piece, it is truly a shame many Chopin's masterpieces like this are under-performed. The highly respected Chopin scholar Arthur Hedley wrote about this piece in his biography CHOPIN: "The solitary Prelude, Op. 45, may be classed with the Nocturnes. It wanders through many keys - not aimlessly, however, for with each key the melodic phrases take on a fresh colour. Finally all the tints of the rainbow are flashed before us in a kaleidoscopic cadenza made up of rapidly changing chords. Once again Chopin stretches out his hand to the future." It indeed sounds contemporarily 20th century, a timeless piece. Chopin, the real revolutionary of the Romantic era!
This is the only few rare instances where Chopin had composed a Cadenza, and marked it a Cadenza. And I also realized that this Prelude is one of many examples of Chopin being ahead of his time; the melody is intriguing, and almost seemingly 'impressionistic' at times. Very, very fascinating. It is a shame since this work is scarcely known in comparison to Chopin’s other works.
One of the most beautiful, yet underrated pieces of music by Chopin. Such melodic simplicity, yet the modulations and harmonic development really make the piece feel complex and interesting. In all honesty, I think I prefer this lone Prelude to the Op.28 set! There are some real gems in the 24 Preludes (E minor, B minor, C minor etc), but this is by far the most interesting piece of music Chopin wrote in the 'prelude' genre. And of course, Rubenstein's rendition makes it all the more better.
It’s longer than most of the other preludes too, except the “Raindrop” prelude. This really has a Brahmsian sound to it and even foreshadows Rachmaninoff.
(edited) I realise he wrote this aged 30/31 but it’s almost like he's giving a summation of all he's achieved with the piano, and is ready to hand it over to the next generation, as if he’s saying across the ages to Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Fauré simultaneously: “here you go kids, take it and run with it...” You wonder what he might have got up to if he lived longer and didn't die aged 39.
That cadenza is a study! A series of diminished chords going up and most of the fingering matches in that section. Beautiful, haunting prelude! Love it!!
I thought I had a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the piano repertoire from Scarlatti and Bach to Shostakovitch and Poulenc, but I just stumbled across this piece in the middle of my Peters edition of the Preludes and Rondos. I had no idea it was even there, and thought that Chopin Preludes meant Op 28. It's stunning and the first thing I'm going to look at when I get back to the piano later on.
+LemoMeme checked out your channel, you're awesome kid. hope you have a wonderful musical adventure, because it'll be with you for the rest of your life.
I only discovered this precious musical gem less than a year ago and fell in love with its emotions immediately. Other than the cadenza, which is quite hard to play at speed, the piece is simple. But, the melancholy, the sadness, the yearning is as deep as it goes. One is reminded of similar emotions in Beethoven's "Les Adieu", several piano works by Schubert and Faure. Rubinstein, a master of Chopin, takes the piece at a moderate tempo; were he to slow it down it would take on too much gravity and the subtle layers would be obscured. I have not yet found a recording by Horowitz: anyone who has one, please post. Fabulous music.
I searched c# minor prelude specifically hoping this was the piece a choir piece I've been trying to remember is based off of. It's unfortunately not what I was looking for but man am I happy I found this.
@@fredhoupt4078 Chopin and Rachmaninoff are great, but they mostly have distinct styles. I'd say copied is way too much of a hyperbole, and every single composer infulenced one way or another the next generation. Take Schubert for an example, he influenced many later composers to write in the Romantic-Era style.
@@Lagrimoso with respect, the more one plays Rach and Chopin you can see how much of an influence Chopin was on Rach. The problem I have with Rach in a general way is that he adds extra layers of complexity, which was his style. This often obscured the musicality, the musical lines in ways that you won't find in Chopin. It's my impression and those who adore most of Rach will disagree with me. Over time I've come to love Chopin more as each year goes by. There are wonderful moments in Rach's symphonies, his Variations on a theme by Paganini, and in his concertos. I don't dislike Rach; I just feel that Chopin is an overall superior composer and it's just my opinion.
@@fredhoupt4078 I sort of agree and respect that, but all I was saying is that Rach copying Chopin is way too much of an exaggeration. Of course I have noticed the very close similarities, just like the early Scriabin was very similar with Chopin. Copying would mean to take a piece and call it your own, but Rachmaninoff just molded ideas very greatly and turned them into something else.
Agree with others: this piece is seriously underrated. I love the long suspensions, and the way it moves through so many different keys (long way from c# minor to F major, for example). I think because it's not part of the 24 Préludes and it's not a "big" piece like the Ballades, Polonaises, or Scherzos it tends to get left out, but it's mesmerizing. Nice performance by Rubenstein but I would have liked a bit more leggiero on the Cadenza.
An Imaginative run, A melody of mind, Notes to some, And points of peace To others like me. How thankful one could be when we realize this transcends from a young mind once eager to feel as you and I do. 🧘🏽♂️🧠🌌
Hyonsuk - It is actually one of the easier preludes. The left hand repeats a pattern over and over as it "rises" in keys. There are no polyrhythms, huge stretches or blinding speed. The "chord" part near the end can be learned with enough practice. The key is emphasis of the melody and those incredible harmonics. Try it and you could be surprise.
For me this is one of the most beautiful Chopin preludes. You often hear a repertoire, both live and on CD, where the preludes Op. 28.1 to Op. 28.24 to be played. I find it very unfortunate that this one (Op.45) is not part of that. As a result, she remains somewhat unknown. Otherwise, I think she would have excelled in the series of preludes as much as Op. 9 no. 2 does this at the Nocturnes.
Some small parts really remind me of Rachmaninoff. Maybe because this is a prelude in C minor. Especially 1:37 to 1:47. Probably also because of the chords!
Deceptively difficult to play. Sense of time disappears behind all the syncopations and the phrases never start and end where you expect. keep the coherence of the phrasing is so hard. Incredible modulations precursing modern classicism of Scriabin , Rachmaninoff, Debussy and later even Jazz with Bill Evans. Such a genius
פנינין הטירוף ואנטי הגבריות של חיתוך איברי וזה שלא סיפרו על זה מעולם וצחקו עליי צחוק מלמעלה בשמיים. כ"ה. ונגעו בי כמו איש הפיל. עם 4 בסוף וסוף טוב אחרי.
I love playing this but it is an intimate piece - not a concert piece. I love Rubinstein - have his complete Chopin - but prefer a slightly faster tempo - it's all how you heard it. Martha Argerich's version is incredible.
This is so contrived. Chopin's signature won't make it any better. To my ears so accustomed to the REAL Chopin it simply sounds weird, contrived, not "nice". No hard feelings, divinely blessed Maestro.
imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/e/ee/IMSLP254001-PMLP02345-ChopinOp45bh1878.pdf It's his Prelude. The sheet music even says it is. I've played his Nocturne before, and it sounds nothing like this.
This must be the record for number of accidentals in a 5-minute piece. Incredibly complicated, profoundly lovely.
I am sure that any of this minute-and-a-half pieces (except number 5) has more accidentals than this piece
ruclips.net/video/jCvcMcxMGek/видео.html
Get to know the music of Max Reger. He makes Chopin look like Palestrina.
Very beautiful-it's always rewarding to discover a rare Chopin work!
Nice profile pic
i didnt know that you liked chopin
Arguably one of the most underrated Chopin pieces. For one the melody is gorgeous, of course. Two the harmonic structure is astounding. So much happens in merely 5 minutes. All in the most simple, elegant way possible.
SO much happens... remember learning it 20+ years ago, and not knowing what the key signature was from bar to bar. Also incredibly difficult to maintain singing lines, a tricky left hand part everywhere, and yet all has to be played in total serenity and calm (although the important moments also have to be communicated as they arise).
It is basically a definition of Romanticism, period. Haunting yet beautiful melodies, multiple modulations, an insightful tempo - it’s as though he’s actually talking to each one of us - something personal and deep. Exceptional piece.
Many thanks for the recording and the info. Love this piece, it is truly a shame many Chopin's masterpieces like this are under-performed. The highly respected Chopin scholar Arthur Hedley wrote about this piece in his biography CHOPIN:
"The solitary Prelude, Op. 45, may be classed with the Nocturnes. It wanders through many keys - not aimlessly, however, for with each key the melodic phrases take on a fresh colour. Finally all the tints of the rainbow are flashed before us in a kaleidoscopic cadenza made up of rapidly changing chords. Once again Chopin stretches out his hand to the future."
It indeed sounds contemporarily 20th century, a timeless piece. Chopin, the real revolutionary of the Romantic era!
This is the only few rare instances where Chopin had composed a Cadenza, and marked it a Cadenza.
And I also realized that this Prelude is one of many examples of Chopin being ahead of his time; the melody is intriguing, and almost seemingly 'impressionistic' at times. Very, very fascinating. It is a shame since this work is scarcely known in comparison to Chopin’s other works.
There's a distinct feeling of Liszt about that cadenza.
It does sound a bit like something Debussy would compose. However, Chopin did it decades before him.
I’ve always thought Chopin foreshadows Debussy and even modern jazz....
@@randystill1964 his use of chromaticism is yet to be surpassed in my opinion, despite Genres such as the ones you mentioned attempting to
@@PastPerspectives11 check out scriabin
One of the most beautiful, yet underrated pieces of music by Chopin. Such melodic simplicity, yet the modulations and harmonic development really make the piece feel complex and interesting. In all honesty, I think I prefer this lone Prelude to the Op.28 set! There are some real gems in the 24 Preludes (E minor, B minor, C minor etc), but this is by far the most interesting piece of music Chopin wrote in the 'prelude' genre. And of course, Rubenstein's rendition makes it all the more better.
It’s longer than most of the other preludes too, except the “Raindrop” prelude. This really has a Brahmsian sound to it and even foreshadows Rachmaninoff.
@@stephenn77 don't ever compare chopin to brahms. One is a great master, the other is human trash.
(edited) I realise he wrote this aged 30/31 but it’s almost like he's giving a summation of all he's achieved with the piano, and is ready to hand it over to the next generation, as if he’s saying across the ages to Rachmaninoff, Debussy, and Fauré simultaneously: “here you go kids, take it and run with it...” You wonder what he might have got up to if he lived longer and didn't die aged 39.
Certainly Brahms too!
Lmao chill, I'm pretty sure this was written in his late 20s/ early 30s. A bit too early to have been thinking about the next generation.
@@milton3204 Lmao chill,it was just a flight of fancy. I did use the word "like" to suggest "as if". It is a late prelude though.
@@milton3204 it was in 1841
lmao someone is named "de bussy"
That cadenza is a study! A series of diminished chords going up and most of the fingering matches in that section. Beautiful, haunting prelude! Love it!!
Such a fascinating piece, this mingling of harmonic complexity and melodic simplicity.
I thought I had a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the piano repertoire from Scarlatti and Bach to Shostakovitch and Poulenc, but I just stumbled across this piece in the middle of my Peters edition of the Preludes and Rondos. I had no idea it was even there, and thought that Chopin Preludes meant Op 28. It's stunning and the first thing I'm going to look at when I get back to the piano later on.
It's great. It's fairly easy to play except for the cadenza, too.
+LemoMeme
checked out your channel, you're awesome kid. hope you have a wonderful musical adventure, because it'll be with you for the rest of your life.
Working on it now! The cadenza is its own project... The posth Ab prelude (#26) is also lovely!
The unmistakable master - only Rubinstein could weave such a magical spell as this with Chopin's wonderful Prelude. Nobody else comes near.
I only discovered this precious musical gem less than a year ago and fell in love with its emotions immediately. Other than the cadenza, which is quite hard to play at speed, the piece is simple. But, the melancholy, the sadness, the yearning is as deep as it goes. One is reminded of similar emotions in Beethoven's "Les Adieu", several piano works by Schubert and Faure. Rubinstein, a master of Chopin, takes the piece at a moderate tempo; were he to slow it down it would take on too much gravity and the subtle layers would be obscured. I have not yet found a recording by Horowitz: anyone who has one, please post. Fabulous music.
I searched c# minor prelude specifically hoping this was the piece a choir piece I've been trying to remember is based off of. It's unfortunately not what I was looking for but man am I happy I found this.
Maybe that piece for choir was Rachmaninoff’s C sharp minor prelude. It could easily fit a choir
Reminds me of Rachmaninoff. I could tell it was one of his op 23 or op 32 if I didn't know it was actually Chopin lol
Rach absorbed, absconded, copied, imitated Chopin more than any other composer. For me, Chopin is the better composer.
@@fredhoupt4078 Chopin and Rachmaninoff are great, but they mostly have distinct styles. I'd say copied is way too much of a hyperbole, and every single composer infulenced one way or another the next generation. Take Schubert for an example, he influenced many later composers to write in the Romantic-Era style.
@@Lagrimoso with respect, the more one plays Rach and Chopin you can see how much of an influence Chopin was on Rach. The problem I have with Rach in a general way is that he adds extra layers of complexity, which was his style. This often obscured the musicality, the musical lines in ways that you won't find in Chopin. It's my impression and those who adore most of Rach will disagree with me. Over time I've come to love Chopin more as each year goes by. There are wonderful moments in Rach's symphonies, his Variations on a theme by Paganini, and in his concertos. I don't dislike Rach; I just feel that Chopin is an overall superior composer and it's just my opinion.
@@fredhoupt4078 I sort of agree and respect that, but all I was saying is that Rach copying Chopin is way too much of an exaggeration. Of course I have noticed the very close similarities, just like the early Scriabin was very similar with Chopin. Copying would mean to take a piece and call it your own, but Rachmaninoff just molded ideas very greatly and turned them into something else.
Best prelude of him. This stands alone while others rely on each other.
Agree with others: this piece is seriously underrated. I love the long suspensions, and the way it moves through so many different keys (long way from c# minor to F major, for example). I think because it's not part of the 24 Préludes and it's not a "big" piece like the Ballades, Polonaises, or Scherzos it tends to get left out, but it's mesmerizing.
Nice performance by Rubenstein but I would have liked a bit more leggiero on the Cadenza.
An Imaginative run,
A melody of mind,
Notes to some,
And points of peace
To others like me.
How thankful one could be when we realize this transcends from a young mind once eager to feel as you and I do.
🧘🏽♂️🧠🌌
BEAUTIFUL
Thanks for uploading!
Rafe schaberg
the rarely-played 25th prelude!
Thank you. I have the book, but couldn't even attempt to play it. So I was glad to find your music so I can at least listen to it.
Hyonsuk - It is actually one of the easier preludes. The left hand repeats a pattern over and over as it "rises" in keys. There are no polyrhythms, huge stretches or blinding speed. The "chord" part near the end can be learned with enough practice. The key is emphasis of the melody and those incredible harmonics. Try it and you could be surprise.
For me this is one of the most beautiful Chopin preludes. You often hear a repertoire, both live and on CD, where the preludes Op. 28.1 to Op. 28.24 to be played. I find it very unfortunate that this one (Op.45) is not part of that. As a result, she remains somewhat unknown. Otherwise, I think she would have excelled in the series of preludes as much as Op. 9 no. 2 does this at the Nocturnes.
Underrated Chopin!
4:45 So similar to Chopin's Op 48 N 1
1:22 wow voicing is so pretty
The piece that 'invents' Brahms, Wagner, Grieg, Rachmaninov, Debussy and Mahler! Very underrated piece.
0:07 Where did that acciaccatura come from?
Different edition.
It's in my 1910 Augener's Edition imprint.
Perfection
hope this piece gets more attention now that its in the RCM 10 book
Some small parts really remind me of Rachmaninoff. Maybe because this is a prelude in C minor. Especially 1:37 to 1:47. Probably also because of the chords!
This prelude is actually in C-sharp minor
According to Tad Szulc bio of Chopin “Chopin in Paris” several Chopin pieces have only fairly recently been published.
2:53 Denussy Reverie
❤
Didn't know Chopin had written a cadenza , if feels more like a Rachmaninov or Liszt thing
How many modulations in this piece?
1:40 to 1:46 - Hello, Adagietto from Mahler 5!
And again, from 2:47 to 2:56, in F major.
Where did that acciaccatura come from in the 2nd bar 2nd note?
It's often used in this piece but not always written in the sheet music.
It's written in some editions.
Deceptively difficult to play. Sense of time disappears behind all the syncopations and the phrases never start and end where you expect. keep the coherence of the phrasing is so hard. Incredible modulations precursing modern classicism of Scriabin , Rachmaninoff, Debussy and later even Jazz with Bill Evans. Such a genius
Melody sounds like scriabin
פנינין הטירוף ואנטי הגבריות של חיתוך איברי וזה שלא סיפרו על זה מעולם וצחקו עליי צחוק מלמעלה בשמיים. כ"ה. ונגעו בי כמו איש הפיל. עם 4 בסוף וסוף טוב אחרי.
I love playing this but it is an intimate piece - not a concert piece. I love Rubinstein - have his complete Chopin - but prefer a slightly faster tempo - it's all how you heard it. Martha Argerich's version is incredible.
Where is the "apogiatura" of the second musical compass?
Is the displayed score different from the one being played? Thanks.
3:55 is this written in the 1900s? No its by chopin in 1940s
1:05 sound like Debussy sec
Second arabesque
I actually hear Scriabin.
Me too
Beautiful Chopin piece I want to play but the amount of accidentals scare me😅
This piece is a few more tritones/minor 2nds off from being an impressionist piece
This piece really reminds me of the middle part of Debussy's premier arabesque
3' 18''' synchronisation
How did you know this was my favourite Prelude? (although truth be told I prefer Michelangeli)
+Atoqsayk'uchi Love this piece and to be honest, at least for me, Rubinstein has always been a safe bet.
Scriabin op 56 no 3
reminds me a bit of some Hollow knight music by Christopher larkin
This is so contrived. Chopin's signature won't make it any better. To my ears so accustomed to the REAL Chopin it simply sounds weird, contrived, not "nice". No hard feelings, divinely blessed Maestro.
Have you listened to the late Nocturnes like Op.55 #2? Chopin is stretching his harmonic language. Yes, it’s very different than his earlier stuff.
it is his noctunc,not prelude
+Ivan Leong No, this is definitely the Prelude
+ClassicMusicVids really?the prelude should be largo,or is it another one?
imslp.nl/imglnks/usimg/e/ee/IMSLP254001-PMLP02345-ChopinOp45bh1878.pdf
It's his Prelude. The sheet music even says it is. I've played his Nocturne before, and it sounds nothing like this.
+Ivan Leong Interestingly it does certainly sound more like a nocturne than a prelude. However it is still a prelude.
+Medtnaculus well,now i have found out now(>﹏