Chopin Fantasy f minor Op 49. Valentina Lisitsa

This is Chopin's response to Liszt's "Funerailles" ( I know, I know, Liszt wrote it AFTER Chopin died - so let's say it was Liszt's response to Chopin's Fantasy) The same plan - starting with a funeral introduction , same f -minor, same abundance of octaves... But Funerailles is a great piano war-horse, favorite of any "virtuoso" with a decent octave technique - sure and cheap way to impress and thrill the audiences. Fantasy in comparison is a poor cousin , underappreciated and often misunderstood : the worst offenders are often female pianists ( LOL, huuuuuge grin goes here ) playing it in overly sentimental and romanticized way - complete with hands flailing , eyes rolling and hair flying :-) Guys just can't do it :-)
How did it happen? Liszt was a great self-promotion and marketing guy - he discovered a neat trick of "programming" in music , forcing music "to tell a story"- and listeners suddenly thought " Gee, now we understand what this music is about , how cool !" This was his trademark -but it was certainly not his invention. In fact , most if not all music has a "program" , something composer thought of when composing and something we think of when we listen .It can be something very concrete and extremely detailed ( Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique for example)- or just a vague hint of an idea that makes us think further ( Beethoven 5th Symphony ).The problem with detailed programs is that music can become "dated" , tied to a certain event that might be of no importance to future listeners. People can relate in perpetuity to " the fate knocking on the door" of the 5th symphony. But we can never again ( hopefully ) feel what French audience must have felt on Berlioz' premiere during the third movement with its guillotine strike. I bet their hair was standing up and Goosebumps were covering the listeners who still remembered Terror some years before...I think that even watching Avatar in 3D is nothing in comparison to that experience :-)
Chopin was much more subtle in his "programs"-he catered to more sophisticated smaller audience of salons rather than big concert halls. These people knew the historical context and could understand him without need to spell it out . In order to fully appreciate his music we must know at least a bit of history too. Then it becomes clear that Chopin was so different from a stereotyped effeminate ,sickly romantic virtuoso image. He was a true titan, not in body but in spirit - singlehandedly ( with few brethren poets ,artists etc.)keeping the whole people from oblivion and cultural destruction. For his people , his country, was at this time a mere geographic term . Formerly a proud and powerful nation ,one of Europe superpowers, Poland has fallen so low because of internal discord that it was picked piece by piece by strong and brutal neighbors until it disappeared. New "owners" were bent on wiping national identity and pride to secure their new acquisitions. They would have succeeded was it not for Chopin. You know that musicologists call him a first" national" composer. For a good reason - he created an epic of his nation in music just as Homer created his in Odyssey or Virgil in Aeneid... And we are not only talking about things like Polonaises or Mazurkas fitting into this "national" category. Fantasy is a prime example of thinly veiled national music. Why? Bear with me while I take you through last foray into history. Chopin and his family ended up in a part of Poland that was grabbed by Russian Empire. He traveled abroad with Russian passport ( Chopin , a Russian composer ? LOL) and he had to lie on his exit visa application ( yes, I am serious ) that he is in transit to New World, Americas. He lived for almost whole his life with a stamp " in Transit". The single event in history that changed his life was Polish uprising of 1830-31, a noble but doomed to fail attempt by patriots to overthrow occupying forces ( Revolutionary Etude was written the night he got the news of Russian Cossacks entering Warsaw , he didn't know if his family even survived all carnage and rape ) . The rebels was brutally destroyed and all the hope of freedom was lost. Chopin realized that he will never see his native land - or even his family. All his life he was carrying in his soul - and in his music - the memory of this event and of its unsung heroes. Fantasy is an ode to all those who lost their lives in the fight for freedom.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Valentina
• Lisitsa
• minor
• Fantasy
• Chopin
• Op
• 49
• Валентина
• Лисица

[ValentinaLisitsa]

Starting today - for 4 weeks only , DVD+CD gift set Chopin Recital ( including Fantasy and much more) is on Amazon.com. Once they gone - they are gone :-)

Search "Lisitsa Chopin" on Amazon and you will find it :) Not available anywhere else...

[ValentinaLisitsa]

@saulboyjt no shoes - this is a real , not a fake recording session after all ! Shoes squeek on the pedal and drive producers  crazy :-)

[ValentinaLisitsa]

@NoFacePlayer You will enjoy it . Technically it is not a difficult piece , emotionally - yes.

[sdanot]

your performance is similar to other performances that I heard. I think that you and other are misinterpreting. I hope that I will have the chance to exploit that fact in the future.

[25joao2007]

Even your bare feet are more elegant than any super expensive shoe… you are a gracious most talented humble pianist of all times. I am proud of you darling. God bless you!

[qdsfd]

@ValentinaLisitsa I literally fell in love with you :) too bad you're already married

Keep uploading videos I enjoy so much watching them! And I love your way of playing!!

[arrakisus]

I have just discovered that you're coming to Denver soon! After having not been to the symphony for several years, I think I'll go. Thank you so much for the Youtube clips.

[Ghorgeu]

Hi, Valentina.. I had the delight of hearing you play this piece in Buenos Aires, at the Colon Theatre. You've captured all the emotions of this piece and delivered it from your heart to your fingers which beautifully set every emotion free, for us to enjoy it, for us to taste it, for us to feel it and to breathe it in the air...That was so intense...When are you coming back to Argentina? I hope you’ll do it soon. I'm looking forward to hearing you play live again. Best wishes, Georgeu.

[Waldstein65]

@ValentinaLisitsa

Thank you, your order has been placed. Hope to meet you in Germany. Andi

[cardcuts96]

valentina i've a small question... i literally suck to play thirds legato. can you please give me a hint to get it right??

[waloa]

I had the honor of hearing this LIVE on Buenos Aires (it was my honeymoon! :D) and was even more breathtaking. I hope that you upload the Rondeau Fantastique that you perform, better than anything else on youtube

Kind Regards from Chile

PS: could you ever do Bach's Italian Concerto? I would love if your fingers could bless us all with that piece