Two areas are explored in the first video based on the content of Seymour Bernstein’s communications.
1) Wrist motions in the Right Hand (measures 25 and on)
The following exercise, recommended by Seymour was very helpful:
“First, at measure 25 reverse the order of right hand double notes, and begin the passage with C-Ab. You will see that your wrist wants to go down on this chord and up on the Ab-F. That’s because the second finger wants to have a lower wrist on C and slightly raised wrist on the black note.
“Now play the passage in the correct order pretending that you are beginning the second 6th, C-Ab with your wrist going down and up on the first 6th, as you were playing two-note slurs beginning on C and A-flat.
“For the climactic measures, such as M. 26, Chopin has a pedal right through to the final quarter tone rest. Don’t even attempt to lift the pedal on the brief 32nd note rest. That’s simply a choreographic indication so that you can fall off the repeated F’s.”
2) Balance of voices
“Stop concentrating so intensely on the right hand and focus exclusively on the left hand, especially the eruptions at the ends of the ascending scales. You must broaden out the tempo and make a decided crescendo as you approach those rests before the final quick repeated tones.
“The feeling should be energy going into the key bed in the left hand and a floating, surface approach to the double notes in the right hand, shimmering, so to speak, only to the escapement level of each key and not to the key beds.
“In fact, practice this section sounding the left hand and simulating the correct touch with your right hand, only on the surface of the keys without sounding them. Then gradually allow a few tones to sound in the right hand until you hear a fast murmur of those double tones.
“This way you gain speed and make progress.”
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The point is well taken that paired wrist groupings with undulations, perhaps on a shallower level (NOT deep into the key bed) in the right hand, will go a long way to ease fatigue and loosen up the passage. I am not quite there, but advancing along.
In this second video, I share a recent discovery that helped me more easily play measures 29 and 30, as well as 41-44. (Right Hand) I quite naturally fell into a side-to-side, hand rotational movement that made the divided chords easier to play and shape. (the sample below is in slow, practice tempo)
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Links:
A Lesson with Seymour Bernstein, You and the Piano, Part 4:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNYH8GQrdrc
With Your Own Two Hands by Seymour Bernstein
Seymour Bernstein’s Website:
His video was very insightful…I will have to add this book into my collection. Very helpful.
I saw a video peformance by a young boy named hugo… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnHL78zIkSs&feature=player_embedded#! …playing Chopin Nocturne in F Sharp Major Op. 15 No. 2…I also saw a sheet music for this…with a suggested tempo of Larghetto were the quarter not gets 40 or less…I imagine a slower practice at this…would strengthen technique and afford the opportunity to use wide dynamics and freedom of expression.
Very nice!
Yes, slow practice is always recommended, especially for challenging bravura sections..Tonight I am posting a lesser challenge, but still needing the finesse of rapid notes in a rondo/classical form. I will then discuss the motions I used to fuel the passage.
Thanks for sharing. I will have to visit Hugo’s You Tube and go from there.