Chopin: Preludes & Impromptus

Featuring

Garrick Ohlsson
Frédéric Chopin

Did you know?

1/6

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at two different locations: Concordia College in Bronxville, New York, and the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, State University of New York.

Composition History

Chopin completed the Preludes Op. 28 on his trip to Majorca in 1838 with George Sand, putting the finishing touches on a cycle he had worked on since 1836.

Cultural Impact

Chopin's Fantaisie-Impromptu, one of his most popular pieces, provided the central melody for the 1919 hit song 'I'm always chasing rainbows'.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Chopin elevated the solo Prelude from a brief technical exercise to a miniature tone poem, conveying myriad emotions and moods, and his Preludes served as models for later composers.

Compositional Technique

Chopin's Preludes Op. 28 are a cycle of twenty-four short pieces in all major and minor keys, paired through tonal relatives and progressing in the cycle of fifths.