Frédéric Chopin: 24 Preludes Op. 28, Prelude Op. 45, Sonata No. 2, Op. 35 – Hsiang Tu

The set of 24 Preludes composed by an ailing Chopin during his unfortunate stay in Mallorca with George Sand is one of the composer’s masterpieces, and it reveals clearly the role played by Bach and his music in the shaping of Chopin’s aesthetic perspective. Chopin carefully and deeply studied his Baroque model, to the point of copying the number of bars of Bach’s original. These Preludes, in spite of their brevity and concision, are all masterpieces. This Da Vinci Classics album is completed by another great work by the Polish-French composer, i.e. his second Piano Sonata, featuring the touching Funeral March followed by an impressive Finale where a whispering wind seems to efface all traces of the past.