Aleksander Michałowski (1851-1938): Chopin - Prelude in Cmin

Polish-born Aleksander Michałowski was one of the oldest pianists to record. He was taught by Ignaz Moscheles (Beethoven disciple and friend of Mendelssohn and Chopin) and Carl Reinecke, followed by Carl Tausig (Liszt's greatest pupil). He later also sought advice on Chopin interpretation from Chopin's pupil Mikuli, and also from Liszt, who enthusiastically endorsed his performance of Chopin. He spent most his life as a teacher in Warsaw, with several distinguished pupils.

His early recordings are the best performances, despite the primitive sound quality. This is Chopin's Prelude in C minor op.28 no.2 and the recording was made in 1905.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Aleksander
• Michałowski
• piano
• recording
• classical
• chopin
• preulde
• minor
• op.28
• no.2

[pianopera]

It is this ignorant, relativating attitude that creates monstrous interpreters à la Lang Lang.

Only when you are able to follow the score 100% exact (and only very few can do this) you can take more liberties.

[pianopera]

Many great musicians of the 19th Century helped to establish institutions that are now called Conservatoires. Regarding the strictness in first following the score as expressed by Chopin and Liszt, go read a few books (e.g. Methuen-Campbell and Lachmund).

I repeat (and maybe I fall on deaf ears again)the score is the starting point from the classics/Beethoven on, only when you can truly INTERPRET it, after analyzing, and know the differences in styles, you can take more liberties.

[camaysar222]

Hi pianopera. Re: your 1): I've never seen a Liszt ed, nor heard of it before. Sounds intriguing!

2): It was early, but past the "novelty" stage. But novelty or not, I'm sure he played as he normally would, and was aware that the recordings would represent his artistic vision.

3): At a fast clip, one could even observe his pedaling today, but I'm sure most would at least half-pedal during the passage. C's ms has 2 pedals to the bar crossed out for the first 2 measures of the 3!

[pianopera]

...cont. Should we ignore because we know that Pleyel sounded thinner? Or should we use 1/2 or 3/4 pedal? Or pedal for each bar, depending on acoustics? Difficult to decide...

[pianopera]

camaysar:

1) Liszt-edition is mentioned in S. Sitwell's famous Liszt biography.

2) This recording of 1905 belongs to the earliest acoustic recordings available. I think only in the last years of the 19th century the first commercial recordings (first on cylinder) were starting to get known. Must have been the first acquaintance for M.?

3) Pedalling: take prelude 16. Right in the beginning it is indicated three full bars by Chopin...

cont.

[pianopera]

No, that fingering is ok! It would only be strange though to also use the *fifth* (so 1-2-3-4-5 1-2-3-4-5 etc) like in so many chromatic passages in fast Liszt pieces (f.e. Chasse Neige).

[camaysar222]

Indeed, truecrypt. I've inspected various Klindworth editions in the library over time, but don't own any. I should really start getting them into the house to join the other editions of Chopin works here, and give a closer look.

[truecrypt]

BTW if you are interested in different editions (which is a fascinating subject to research) take a look at Klindworth too. In term of text it's probably not the best, but phrasing, "hidden voicing", fingering - extremely interesting and inspiring.

[camaysar222]

(2) notes, though he has some nice cross-bar pedaling. Hmm... might there be a lesson here? Yes, you say, the lesson is: we're not Chopin! Ha! Well anyway, if one does something terribly original like that, he'd better understand Chopin! This is why I love Friedman's personal touches. Sometimes wild, but we always sense a Chopin spirit... though occasionally "unleashed", rather than demonstrated.

[camaysar222]

Yes, it's very harmonious! I guess he kept it up until the figuration change (I'm flipping through my first French edition... no one ever sees my old music but me, so I may as well brag about it here, where it can be appreciated!), at m 10, where he'd be holding an octave A# with F# in between, though that does sound rich. The striking thing, in light of what you say, is that Chopin's published (and ms) pedaling is expressly interrupted during the 16th

[truecrypt]

Of course Chopin used pedal the most sophisticated way and left only very rough indications in his autographs. He also widely used "fingers' pedaling" - certain keys would be held longer to create the pedal effect. F.e. if you recall the opening figuration in Barcarolle - Chopin used to hold f#-a#-c# notes no. 4, 6, 7 with fingers while changing half pedal. Creates clear Fis dur without an extra dissonance because of g#. Try it - sounds wonderful!

[camaysar222]

pianopera, I didn't say what I did about taste to imply that he was consciously keeping to a certain "taste". Only that he felt "safe" in taking the liberties, and that (most of) his contemporaries would not say it was "outrageous". But even in 1905, some would surely have disagreed with his alteration... maybe even someone like Hofmann!