LDV44

JOAQUÍNACHÚCARRO 21 Let’s move on to your recording: why did you wait so long before going into the studio with this programme focusing on the Preludes? The Preludes are not little jewels arranged side by side; they formawhole, a gigantic work. Each prelude, however brief it may be, presents a particular mood and constitutes a world in itself. We are dealing here with twenty-four ‘psychological studies’, twenty-four states of mind: humanity, joy, rage, heroism, defeat, triumph, love, nostalgia, sadness, hope, resignation, and so on – all of them feelings with which Chopin was perfectly familiar. It is true that I waited before recording the Preludes because I wanted to have the impression I had totally assimilated them, to the extent that they became, so to speak, a part of my subconscious; almost like establishing a friendshipwith a living being. From that point on, I was ready to go into the recording studio – and how glad I am that I did so!