Thanks to this pandemic, I have more than enough time to practice piano. And, as I've mentioned in earlier posts, I've focused my efforts on pieces written during the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods. Although I love the works of Classical composers, such as Beethoven—especially some of his more famous sonatas, I'm most powerfully drawn to the music of the Romantic era of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
During this time, composers moved away from the formal restraint of Classical music in favor of a more spiritual aesthetic that evokes an emotional response. For me, the allure of Romantic music is its gracefulness and character. It is often praised as the poetry of music.
Born in Russia in 1867, Samuel Maykapar was a Crimean-Jewish composer, as well as a childhood schoolmate of the writer Anton Chekhov! I love Maykapar's Prelude No. 4 for its melodious quality. The piece is meant to be played andante tranquillo, an Italian term for a slightly faster, but still calm, tempo.
The haunting mood of this piece deepens with each measure and should be played with increasing freedom and abandon. For me, playing such emotional music helps me cope, as music often gives voice to what words cannot.
Abby Korotney playing Samuel Maykapar's Prelude No. 4.