top of page

About Chopin Waltz Op. 42 - Gail played at the musicale on 5/28

I almost chose this piece for the Chopin Competition for the Amateur Pianists in Warsaw, Poland in 2018. I start studying a bit but realized how complex this music is and decided to choose Op. 18, which is also not easy, though...

Here is the copy from Henle book about Op. 42:

The fact that Chopin’s waltzes are no longer dance music, but refined concert pieces for performance in salon or concert hall, emerges nowhere as sharply as in the “Grande Valse” op. 42. The main theme banters with a delightful rhythmic shifting between the accompaniment in the typical ¾ time and the melody, which, in its turn, is heard in duple time. Robert Schumann called this waltz a “salon piece of the most noble type”; one which, in spite of all its brilliance and virtuosity, can still be mastered by advanced amateurs.

Here are some examples from 10 pianists!

Garrick Ohlsson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGXW6UeW3f4

9 pianists Op. 42 Hostorical Comparison https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5wInJZh-go

1. Eugen d'Albert (00:00) 2. Emil von Sauer (3:32) 3. Moriz Rosenthal (7:20) 4. Leopold Godowsky (11:09) 5. Sergei Rachmaninoff (14:59) 6. Josef Hofmann (18:57) 7. Egon Petri (22:32) 8. Wilhelm Backhaus (25:42) 9. Simon Barere, live (29:14)

24 views1 comment

Recent Posts

See All

The 5th GMG online recital is now ready for listening. Check it out here: Recital #5 September 2020. Our performers would really like to receive your comments, even if it is just a short "Loved it!".

Players/Presenters: Nico Brett, Maggie Frick, Carol Wazlavek Listeners: Ed Ewing, Fran Richards, Tom Slavicek, Shoko Tanaka, Utako Tanigawa, Kelly Brett, Jason Brett Nico started the afternoon by desc

bottom of page