Études (Chopin)
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The Études of Frédéric Chopin are a set of technical studies for piano. They comprise two separate collections of twelve, numbered Opus 10 and Op.25, plus a further set of three without opus number.
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[edit] History
Although sets of exercises for piano had been common from the end of the 18th century (Czerny was the composer of a great number of the most popular), Chopin's not only presented an entirely new set of technical challenges, but were the first to become a regular part of the concert repertoire.
The first études of the Opus 10 set to be composed were written when Chopin was still in his teens. They rank alongside the early works of Mendelssohn as rare examples of extremely youthful compositions that are regarded as both innovative and worthy of inclusion in the standard canon.
[edit] Technical Demands
Unlike most previous technical studies, which sought to cultivate an independence of finger action driven from the wrist, Chopin's require the engagement of the entire playing mechanism from the shoulder downwards. For example, Op. 10, No. 1 consists of a series of wide broken chords whose span is unreachable for all but the largest hands — it is therefore necessary to use the arm to guide the fingers from note to note. Similarly, Op. 25, No. 10 is a study in octaves in both hands that requires powerful and flexible movements from the shoulders.
Abby Whiteside, the 20th century pedagogue whose views on finger independence are perhaps the most scathing of any author on the subject of piano technique, made the Chopin Études the focus of all her writings — for her they were the final proof of the total inadequacy of any attempt to delegate either strength or direction to the weakest muscles of the playing apparatus.
[edit] Musical Form
Like the Preludes of the 48 Preludes and Fugues of Johann Sebastian Bach, whom Chopin was known to idolise, the Études are, generally speaking, based on a single short motif that is constantly developed. Some have a contrasting middle section in which the figuration is varied. Most are short, consisting of no more than six pages of manuscript, and lasting less than five minutes. Some can be played in less than a minute and a half.
In the first set, the Études are grouped into relative key pairs (with the exception of Nos. 6 and 7), meaning No.1 in C major is grouped with No.2 in the relative minor key of A. However in the Op.25 set, only the first two have such a relationship.
[edit] Études Op.10
The first set of Études was published in 1833 (although some had been written as early as 1829). Chopin was 23 and already famous as a composer and pianist in the salons of Paris — it was here that he made the acquaintance of Franz Liszt, to whom the work is dedicated.
| Name | Alternate Name | Key | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Étude Op. 10, No. 1 | Waterfall | C major | Arpeggio |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 2 | Chromatic | A minor | Chromaticism |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 3 | Tristesse | E major | Sixths |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 4 | Torrent | C-sharp minor | Counterpoint |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 5 | Black-key | G-flat major | Velocity |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 6 | none | E-flat minor | Phrasing |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 7 | Toccata | C major | Intervals |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 8 | Sunshine | F major | Scales |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 9 | none | F minor | Large intervals |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 10 | none | A-flat major | Polyrhythm |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 11 | Arpeggio | E-flat major | Arpeggio |
| Étude Op. 10, No. 12 | Revolutionary | C minor | Velocity |
[edit] Études Op.25
Chopin's second set of Études was published in 1837, and dedicated to Franz Liszt's mistress, Marie d'Agoult, the reasons for which are a matter of speculation.
| Name | Alternate Name | Key | Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Étude Op. 25, No. 1 | Aeolian Harp | A-flat major | Arpeggio |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 2 | The Bees | F minor | Velocity |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 3 | The Horseman | F major | Phrasing |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 4 | none | A minor | Staccato |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 5 | Wrong Note | E minor | Phrasing |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 6 | Thirds | G-sharp minor | Thirds |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 7 | Cello | C-sharp minor | Phrasing |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 8 | Sixths | D-flat major | Sixths |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 9 | Butterfly | G-flat major | Intervals |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 10 | Octaves | B minor | Octaves |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 11 | Winter Wind | A minor | Velocity |
| Étude Op. 25, No. 12 | Ocean | C minor | Arpeggio |
[edit] Trois Nouvelles Études
These were written as a contribution to the Méthode des Méthodes, a piano instruction book by Ignaz Moscheles, and were not given a separate Opus number. While less technically brilliant than those of Op. 10 and Op. 25, these three études nevertheless retain Chopin's original formula for harmonic and structural balance.
| Name | Key | Study |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Études, No. 1 | F minor | Polyrhythm |
| 3 Études, No. 2 | A-flat major | Polyrhythm |
| 3 Études, No. 3 | D-flat major | Counterpoint |
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Public Domain Sheet Music of the Etudes at IMSLP
- CHOPIN Free scores, audio, and midi.
List of compositions by Frédéric Chopin • About the Chopin Études |
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