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Preludes, Barcarolle
The
cycle of 24 Preludes Op. 28 is the fruit of Chopin's stay in Majorca in
1838 and 1839. This Mediterranean island was at that time a virgin and
inhospitable land. The composer worked on the Preludes in the ruins of
a deserted Carthusian monastery in Valldemosa. The monastery cell was a
'strange place', to quote his own words. He composed by candlelight,
with a volume of Bach's Das Wohltemperiertes Klavier at his side,
conscious of the spirit of poetry with which 'everything breathed'
there, living between 'the rocks and the sea' and looking at the
'colours of the most wonderful spots, still unspoilt by onlookers'.
Chopin was seriously ill at the time, having lost almost all hope for
fulfilling his plans in life. It would be difficult to devise more
romantic scenery to inspire the shape of a musical piece.[...]
It may be said that Chopin's Preludes are like 'the universe in
miniature' in which, according to Hugo Leichtentritt, 'the richly
varied moods and impressions have no parallels in the entire musical
literature'. |
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Furthermore, 'what is ecstatic, idyllic and imbued with the weirdness
of nocturnal visions; what is mystical, capricious, charming and
grandiose, landscape-like tones, despair, fury and terror, the delicate
love poems and heroism - all this finds at the master's hand a succinct
and blunt expression'.
The Prelude in C sharp minor Op. 45 [...]. With its dream-like
expression and related, in terms of archetype, to Beethoven's Moonlight
Sonata, it is a concert prelude of the highest calibre. It has a
'volatile atmosphere that is difficult to grasp' (J. Huneker) and a
cadenza with 'a wonderfully glittering play of lights and colours which
was not to be found in pre-Chopin's music' (Z. Jachimecki).
The Barcarolle in F sharp major Op. 60, [...], is among the
masterpieces of piano literature. With its 12/8 metre and ornamental
melody in thirds, its ancestry may be traced to the tradition of the
Italian gondola song [...] with its erotic expressivity. [...] Chopin's
Barcarolle may be described as a nocturne in the style of a 'romance'.
Hedley referred to it as 'the most beautiful nocturne of all'. As such,
it met with universal admiration. Its beauty has been called 'stunning'
(H.Leichtentritt). According to John Rink it is one of 'the most
powerful and ravishing musical works of the 19th century'. |
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Marek Wieroñski - Producer |
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