Pianist trying to recreate 200-year-old Chopin prelude breaks down mid-performance
With a 45-minute-long rendition, Nakagawa was overwhelmed by how mesmerizing an honor it is to be recreating that legendary rhythm.
When you do something with love, passion, and a fiery enthusiasm, it shows in the quality of your work. Japanese musician Yumeka Nakagawa (@yumeka.nakagawa) has been stirring hearts with her melodious renditions across the globe. The young pianist has been to many competitions, performed at many stages, but her performance at the 19th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition was beyond ethereal. Playing the famous artist’s “Raindrops” Prelude, the woman got emotional, and the power of music was perfectly highlighted during those fragile moments. Nothing speaks to the soul louder than commitment and passion, and Nakagawa’s legendary performance is an evident treasure, per Classic FM.
The “Raindrop” Prelude by Chopin is the longest of his 24 Preludes, taking up about five to seven minutes, with the whole cycle lasting 45 minutes. This is the very piece Nakagawa stole breaths with at the competition. As captured by the Chopin Institute, starting with zealous effort, she skilfully played each note with precision and wonder. Performing a piece by a legend who had magic woven into each note, to replicate that itself, is an honor, and Nakagawa knew how important the piece was. Sharing in a post on Instagram, the woman wrote, “Participating in the Chopin Competition was probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It was an incredibly intense period — months of preparing Chopin’s works, followed by unforgettable weeks in the beautiful city of Warsaw, surrounded by amazing friends.”
However, it was everything that led to that heavenly moment on stage that pushed her to express what she was really feeling. “I cannot deny that there were dark and difficult moments; yet, it was deeply rewarding to be immersed in Chopin’s music every single day,” Nakagawa wrote. The pianist played meticulously for the first ten minutes, maintaining composure, a soft smile, and elegance. When she moved into the next section, it was as if the piece started speaking to her. As her fingers moved in a flash across her eyes, resounding in the impossible, she couldn’t believe that all her hard work was paying off.
The win was that she was able to make it happen, to move her fingers and replicate THE Chopin beautifully. She tried hard to hold back tears, but within the next few minutes, they streamed down her face. It may have seemed like a young pianist was simply playing a tune, but that moment held so much more. It was her effort, purpose, and so much more being fulfilled.
Studies reveal that playing rhythms can tap into different hemispheres of the brain and bring about an awareness of emotion and a bonding through it. Playing a piece, with each note, each tune, each set, all speak to the mind and revive emotive responses. It’s not just hand-eye coordination but so much of the brain is involved. At that moment when you’re fully into a piece, you’re not figuring which note to play; you’re feeling what each minor and major shift resembles. For Nakagawa, too, the feeling must have been like that — being touched by each change, each pause, each intense continuation.
Needless to say, having played it a relentless number of times while practicing, she familiarized herself with each aspect of the piece, feeling deeply through every bit. “This experience has taught me so much. The cherished memories of meeting wonderful people, discovering new things about myself, and most of all, connecting with warm souls from around the world will remain in my heart forever,” the pianist remarked. People were touched by her response and her performance. @beckybraunstein wrote, “Your performance was important to me. You reminded me why art is what makes life worth living.” @diego_rtzz added, “Not only did you play Chopin, you felt Chopin in every bit.”
You can follow Yumeka Nakagawa on Instagram (@yumeka.nakagawa) for more content on music.
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