Taught by renowned pianist
Gary Graffman
Join Gary Graffman as he sits down with tonebase's Ben Laude to discuss Chopin's Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52.<br><br>Graffman, one of the top American pianists of the 20th Century, listens to his own performance of the Ballade recorded for RCA in 1959. Moving passage-by-passage, Graffman discusses the technical and musical challenges presented by one of Chopin's most profound works.<br><br>The opening phrase is notoriously difficult to interpret, Graffman thinks it should be played very quietly – even more quietly than he played it in his performance. Graffman points out the competing crescendo and decrescendo between the two hands as a clue to realizing Chopin's intentions. The main theme is also difficult to phrase, but Graffman notes how if you follow Chopin's phrase markings precisely you can achieve a more eloquent line.<br><br>As the piece progresses, Graffman discusses the challenges of pedaling the work and allowing its many layers to speak. The fughetta, climax, and coda bring even more difficulties of phrasing and execution, and Graffman emphasizes the importance of practicing slowly, hands separately. From time to time, Graffman pauses to tell stories of playing for Horowitz, and at the end he gives his assessment of the Four Ballades as a whole.
Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52
Join Gary Graffman as he sits down with tonebase's Ben Laude to discuss Chopin's Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 52.
Graffman, one of the top American pianists of the 20th Century, listens to his own performance of the Ballade recorded for RCA in 1959. Moving passage-by-passage, Graffman discusses the technical and musical challenges presented by one of Chopin's most profound works.
The opening phrase is notoriously difficult to interpret, Graffman thinks it should be played very quietly – even more quietly than he played it in his performance. Graffman points out the competing crescendo and decrescendo between the two hands as a clue to realizing Chopin's intentions. The main theme is also difficult to phrase, but Graffman notes how if you follow Chopin's phrase markings precisely you can achieve a more eloquent line.
As the piece progresses, Graffman discusses the challenges of pedaling the work and allowing its many layers to speak. The fughetta, climax, and coda bring even more difficulties of phrasing and execution, and Graffman emphasizes the importance of practicing slowly, hands separately. From time to time, Graffman pauses to tell stories of playing for Horowitz, and at the end he gives his assessment of the Four Ballades as a whole.
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Unlock Course →Curtis Institute faculty member and the teacher of Lang Lang and Yuja Wang, Gary Graffman has been a major figure in the music world since his debut with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1947 at the age of eighteen.
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