New Classical Tracks: Yundi Li, Chopin Preludes

"This year is actually the 15th anniversary to celebrate when I won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw," says Chinese pianist Yundi Li, "so I started this Chopin project as a tribute to Chopin."

At the age of 18, Yundi became the youngest performer ever to win the International Chopin Competition. He celebrates his 15th anniversary of earning that award by launching a series of recordings honoring Chopin, starting with the complete Chopin Preludes.

When performing these preludes Yundi says his attention is focused on the melody and on creating a beautiful musical phrase.

"For Chopin's music, especially for the preludes, the most important is the character of the tone color, so that is the most difficult," Yundi says. "You need to play with a singing tone, but a high-quality tone. So it's not about fast or slow or loud or something. It's really about detail and about the sensitivity of tone color.

"So, that's about attack on the keyboard. When your fingers feel the weight of the key. Sometimes you need the finger to play fast. Sometimes you don't use the finger, but you use your arm or your body. It's how deep you press the key or the keyboard. But that's the most difficult part, because you need to try for hours and hours to find out the tone quality — ah, this tone is what you wanted."

Chopin composed 24 preludes, each one conveying a specific idea or emotion. While Yundi performs them as one large work in concert, he does have individual favorites, like the Prelude No. 16. "It's one of the most passionate and technically and musically challenging, I cannot believe … this is Chopin," Yundi explains. "But also, 15, the Raindrop, is the most famous one. You can feel Chopin's personality and his style — it's all in there. When he wrote this piece in Spain — on Majorca, the small island — it was raining. Those raindrops inspired him."

The final prelude, the heroic Number 24, is another personal favorite for Yundi. The powerful pedaling, the thundering five-note pattern in the left hand, not to mention the trills and scales, all makes this a very passionate work.

Since Yundi won the International Chopin piano competition 15 years ago, almost 50 million kids in China have gravitated toward the instrument. Yundi has had a lot to do with this craze for classical music. "For me, it's one of my dreams," he says. "I want to influence those young children and also for the new generation. But I think the music has helped them a lot. And also — if you know music, if you're learning the piano … it doesn't matter in the future if you want to become a professional artist or just [play piano] as a hobby. It's a great thing for their life, is what I think."

And this year, everything comes full circle for Yundi, as he returns to Warsaw to serve as one of the judges at the International Chopin Competition. "Yes, that's a big honor to me," he says. "I cannot imagine: 15 years ago, I was a competitor and now … as the youngest jury [member], back to Warsaw in the competition. And I probably … will see so many young musicians, young pianists playing, and I can't wait to see them. But will also remind me … I have a lot of memories from 15 years ago."

Yundi Li, sharing his love of Chopin with the release of his new complete collection of Chopin preludes.

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