Chopin : Préludes, Fantaisie, Berçeuse et Barcarolle

Featuring

Abdel Rahman El Bacha
Frédéric Chopin

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Composer Biography

Frédéric Chopin composed the Twenty-four Preludes during a troublesome winter stay in Majorca in 1838-1839, where he experienced nightmares and coughs, early signs of the phthisis that would later claim his life.

Composer's Artistic Vision

George Sand, a French novelist and Chopin's companion, noted the great diversity of the Preludes, describing some as melancholic and mellow, inspired by sunshine and children's laughter, while others were of a dreary sadness.

Compositional Technique

Chopin's Berceuse (1843) explores variety through reiteration, featuring a four-bar melody varied fifteen times over an unchanging bass, a technique reminiscent of Ravel's Boléro decades later.

Compositional Technique

Unlike Bach's preludes, Chopin's Twenty-four Preludes do not precede a fugue or sung chorale; instead, they form a carefully ordered whole, sweeping through all twenty-four major and minor keys according to the cycle of fifths.

Performer Biography

Abdel Rahman El Bacha has recorded Chopin's complete solo piano works in chronological order, as well as his works for piano and orchestra with the Orchestre de Bretagne.

Performer Biography

Abdel Rahman El Bacha, the pianist on this album, won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Competition at age 19 by unanimous decision, launching his international career.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at La Ferme de Villefavard, a converted granary in the Limousin countryside, known for its exceptional acoustics designed by international acoustician Albert Yaying Xu.