Music Educators Association of New Jersey
Serving teachers and students since 1927

MEA Presents Magdalena Baczewska on

Chopin Preludes as the Encyclopedia of 19^th Century Pianism

October 16, 2025, 10:00 A.M.  at the Madison Library Chase Auditorium

The program featured pianist, master teacher and lecturer/performer Magdalena Baczewska, a native of Poland, in a fascinating presentation. She earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mannes College: The New School for Music and a doctorate from TheManhattan School of Music. She is a member of the Columbia University faculty. Her extensive biographical information may be found at https://music.columbia.edu/bios/magdalena-stern-baczewska

The meeting was opened by Vice President Charlene Step. Ruth Kotik gave the speaker a warm introduction. Magdalena launched into a performance and detailed discussion of almost every prelude in the collection. She described the Preludes as “one of the greatest books of music, involving every piano technique and every emotion.” They were written when Chopin was visiting Majorca with his lover, George Sand, in 1839. Despite his deteriorating health and the horrible living conditions, Chopin created a group of succinct masterpieces; each prelude has a unique character.

We were reminded that Chopin studied J. S. Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier. But Chopin’s preludes would not be paired with fugues and they would be ordered according to fifths (major key and relative minor). Chopin knew the manufacturers of pianos and was intrigued by the possibilities for new keyboard music. This is evident in his use of chromaticism, unusual resolutions of harmonies, and innovative pedaling. The principles of Bach’s four-part chorale compositions were fundamental to any serious musician, and in examining the preludes, there are many seemingly complex passages that can be reduced to four-part harmony. This is particularly true of the first prelude. Evidently, Chopin was a student of conventional close voice leading. He was a church organist as a youth. We heard a recording of an excerpt from Bach’s B Minor Mass which featured a descending bass line. Magdalena said Prelude No. 4 uses this pattern.

We were reminded that Chopin would improvise for guests at salons. Some of his preludes have an improvisatory character. Chopin frequently took basic progressions and stepwise melodies and spun fantastic elaborations using chromaticism, enharmonic changes, leaps from one register to another, and inventive passagework. With novel patterns applied to basic musical designs, Chopin created sonorities, dissonances, and textures that were highly original. The variety is stunning. Some preludes are melodious and lyrical, contrasting with technical fireworks of others.

Magdalena also spoke of opportunities to inspect various editions of Chopin. It is not always easy to determine which notations are genuine. For example, Chopin himself made changes to pedaling, adding or crossing out markings. Sometimes the performer must make an interpretive decision. Magdalena tends to hold the damper down when basic harmonies do not change, even if there are some dissonant tones. Her pedaling preference was strengthened after hearing a recording of a Pleyel of that period.

This report is only an abbreviated account of the presentation. In Prelude No. 7 (A Major) Magdalena suggested trying a sustained pedal as printed in parentheses in the Paderewski Edition rather than a shorter rhythmic pedal. This blends non-chord tones in a not unpleasant way. Similar suggestions were made about other preludes. In Prelude No. 8, Magdalena commented on the novel arpeggios in the bass beginning with the highest note rather than the traditional bass key. Prelude No. 9 presents the challenge of an inner voice triplet against a top voice’s dotted eighth note - sixteenth (played just after the triplet). The presto Prelude No. 12 (G sharp Minor) with repeated notes ascending chromatically gives the pianist no time to relax. It is a torrential challenge. Magdelena repeated her assertion that Cortot’s pet names for some of these preludes did not please Chopin. Prelude No. 13 (F sharp Major) is a study of rubato, a rubato that is used with care. At this point, the performer played Prelude No. 21 (B flat Major), cantabile with dyads moving chromatically in the bass. Then she returned to discuss other preludes previously skipped. Prelude No. 18 (F Minor) is a recitative reminiscent of the slow movement of the F minor piano concerto, Magdalena commented.

A Q and A period followed, with even more interesting remarks from Magdalena Baczewska. The audience was enthusiastic and greatly appreciative.

Bertha Mandel, writer