Étude Op. 10, No. 6 (Chopin) on:
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Étude Op. 10, No. 6, in
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp, on the F. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
Change ...
, is a study for
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity
* Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character
* Napoleon Solo, fr ...
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
composed by
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period who wrote primarily for Piano solo, solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown ...
in 1830. It was preceded by the relative key. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England as the sixth piece of his
Études, Op. 10. The tempo ''
Andante'' in
and ''
con molto espressione'' indicate a more moderate playing speed than Chopin's other études with the exception of
Op. 10, No. 3 and
Op. 25, No. 7. This étude focuses on expressivity and
chromatic
Diatonic and chromatic are terms in music theory that are used to characterize scales. The terms are also applied to musical instruments, intervals, chords, notes, musical styles, and kinds of harmony. They are very often used as a pair, es ...
structuring of the
melody
A melody (), also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combination of Pitch (music), pitch and rhythm, while more figurativel ...
as well as
polyphonic texture.
Structure and stylistic traits
Musicologist
Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...
Hugo Leichtentritt
Hugo Leichtentritt (1 January 1874, Pleschen, , nearby Posen, Province of Posen13 November 1951, Cambridge, Massachusetts) was a German-Jewish musicologist and composer who spent much of his life in the USA. His pupils include composers Leroy R ...
(1874–1951) describes the three- (and sometimes four-) voice texture thus: "A melody of painful, elegiac expression over a slow, almost sluggish, bass, in-between a winding middle voice
n sixteenth notes">sixteenth_note.html" ;"title="n sixteenth note">n sixteenth noteswhich, despite its narrow range (music)">range
Range may refer to:
Geography
* Range (geographic), a chain of hills or mountains; a somewhat linear, complex mountainous or hilly area (cordillera, sierra)
** Mountain range, a group of mountains bordered by lowlands
* Range, a term used to i ...
adds a great inner agitation." A characteristic trait of the melody are the chromatic
auxiliary notes played on the beat (music)">beat
Beat, beats, or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact
* Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact
* Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of inte ...
and approached by
disjunct motion.
Like all of
Chopin's other études, this work is in ternary form">Études_(Chopin).html" ;"title="steps and skips">disjunct motion.
Like all of Études (Chopin)">Chopin's other études, this work is in ternary form A–B–A. The strict period (music)">periodic
Periodicity or periodic may refer to:
Mathematics
* Bott periodicity theorem, addresses Bott periodicity: a modulo-8 recurrence relation in the homotopy groups of classical groups
* Periodic function, a function whose output contains values tha ...
structure contains eight-bar periods—two in the A section, forming a regular 16-bar period, three in the middle one and in the final A section a single eight-bar period expanded by five bars. The harmonic relationships in the first eight bars, marked by a deceptive twist to bar 4 and a Neapolitan chord in bar 7, are shown in a musical analysis, harmonic reduction. Bars 9–16 repeat the same progression, ending with an E minor cadence (music), perfect cadence.
The three eight-bar periods of the middle section do each have a particular design. The first one is marked by a rise to the middle and a corresponding descent of the consequent. The irregular second one, leading to the climax, reveals its excited
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular r ...
ic nature especially in the consequent, while the third one is a steady chromatic descent from the climax. The effect of the harmonic
progression
Progression may refer to:
In mathematics:
* Arithmetic progression, a sequence of numbers such that the difference between any two successive members of the sequence is a constant
* Geometric progression, a sequence of numbers such that the quotie ...
of this middle section is described thus by Leichtentritt: "A magnificent transition from E minor (bar 16) to the mildly shining
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
(bar 21)
hopin has changed the key signature here the exciting chains of sequences with their
cross-relations (bars 29–32); the wonderfully sonorous decline to E minor so delicately shaded with accents of
timbre
In music, timbre (), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes sounds according to their source, such as choir voices and musical instrument ...
(bars 33–41)."
The final A section is a shortened repeat of the first one. In the last seven bars a most beautiful effect is produced by the repeated use of the chord of the Neapolitan sixth to delay the final cadence and especially by the "unexpected gleaming" of
A major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor.
The A major scale is:
Changes needed for the ...
(bar 49) in the E minor cadence. This A major enchantingly reflects the E major of the middle section (bar 24). The piece closes with a
Picardy third
A Picardy third, (; ) also known as a Picardy cadence or Tierce de Picardie, is a major chord of the tonic (music), tonic at the end of a musical Musical form, section that is either musical mode, modal or in a minor scale, minor key. This is ach ...
, in
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor. Its enharmonic equivalent, F-flat maj ...
.
Character
American
music critic
'' The Oxford Companion to Music'' defines music criticism as "the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres". In this sense, it is a branch of m ...
James Huneker
James Gibbons Huneker (January 31, 1857 – February 9, 1921) was an American art, book, music, and theater critic. A colorful individual and an ambitious writer, he was "an American with a great mission," in the words of his friend, the critic ...
(1857–1921) calls the étude "a dark doleful
nocturne
A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night.
History
The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...
.
€¦the melody is full of stifled sorrow." Italian composer and editor
Alfredo Casella
Alfredo Casella (25 July 18835 March 1947) was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.
Life and career
Casella was born in Turin, the son of Maria (née Bordino) and Carlo Casella. His family included many musicians: his grandfather, a f ...
(1883–1947) speaks of "meditated grief" and thinks "it is difficult to conceive an elegy more severe and sober than this study." French pianist
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot ( , ; 26 September 187715 June 1962) was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his po ...
(1877–1962) on the other hand calls the character of this study "feverish and concentrated" and insists that "below the passionate lament of the upper voice
€¦we must hear a vital lower part
€¦uniting with it
etpreserving its own timbre and its own freedom of rhythm."
Tempo
Chopin's
metronome mark, given in the original French and German editions, is = 69 referring to
dotted quarter notes. The English edition has = 69 referring to
quarter note
A quarter note ( AmE) or crotchet ( BrE) () is a musical note played for one quarter of the duration of a whole note (or semibreve). Quarter notes are notated with a filled-in oval note head and a straight, flagless stem. The stem usually ...
s instead. Austrian pianist and composer
Gottfried Galston (1879–1950) suggests a tempo of = 50, as "the carrying power of the modern piano's
cantabile
Cantabile is a term in music meaning to perform in a singing style. The word is taken from the Italian language and literally means "singable" or "songlike". In instrumental music, it is a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human ...
allows for a broader layout of the cantilena." He also believes that "the tempo of this étude is subjected to the most multifarious fluctuations." Polish pianist and editor
Jan Ekier
Jan StanisÅ‚aw Ekier (29 August 1913 – 15 August 2014) was a Polish pianist and composer known for his authoritative edition of Chopin's music for the Chopin National Edition.
Biography
Ekier was born in Kraków, Poland. As a youth, he ...
(born 1913) writes in the ''Performance Commentary'' to the Polish National Edition that this étude is "always performed slower or much slower than is indicated by
hopin'stempo.
€¦the tempo becomes as much as three times slower than the authentic one, thus changing the metronomic unit from = 69 to = 69. The causes could be discerned in certain performance "traditions" prevailing during the second half of the nineteenth century, which had little in common with those derived directly from Chopin."
Technical difficulties
In
Schumann's 1836 ''
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
The New Journal of Music (, and abbreviated to NZM) is a music magazine, co-founded in Leipzig by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, Julius Knorr and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke. Its first issue appe ...
'' article on piano études, the study, together with
Op. 10, No. 3, is classified under the category "melody and
accompaniment
Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles of m ...
in one hand simultaneously." Cortot states that the attention of the student should be directed to perfecting polyphonic playing, an expressive intensity of tone and
legato
In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening si ...
and believes that finding the individual tone for each of the simultaneous melodic lines is a particular difficulty.
[Cortot, p. 40] He suggests to produce the tone of the upper part by pressing the keys to the bottom with firm and straight fingers. To ensure even action of the fingers playing the figure in
semiquavers he recommends to start practicing in a
non legato
Portato (; Italian past participle of ''portare'', "to carry"), also mezzo-staccato, French notes portées, in music denotes a smooth, pulsing articulation and is often notated by adding dots under slur markings.
Portato is also known as ar ...
where the fingers do not lose contact with the key. For the final legato the weight of the hand should bear slightly on each semiquaver to produce a kind of
portamento
In music, portamento (: ''portamenti''; from old , meaning 'carriage' or 'carrying'), also known by its French name glissade, is a pitch sliding from one Musical note, note to another. The term originated from the Italian language, Italian exp ...
with a timbre that will not merge into the upper melodic line.
Cortot also introduces an exercise for flexibility of the foot to produce an "uninterrupted quivering"
pedal, but advises to practice the finger legato first without pedal. There are no original pedal marks by Chopin.
Arrangements
A version for the left hand alone can be found in
Leopold Godowsky
Leopold Mordkhelovich Godowsky Sr. (13 February 1870 – 21 November 1938) was a virtuoso pianist, composer and teacher, born in what is now Lithuania to Jewish parents, who became an United States of America, American citizen in 1891. He ...
's 53 ''
Studies on Chopin's Études''. Canadian pianist
Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin, OC, OQ (born September 5, 1961) is a Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer who has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. He is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music.
Biography
Born in Montreal, Quebec ...
(born 1961) describes this "most beautiful achievement" thus: "A continuous, rapid line of
demisemiquavers snakes its way around and through Chopin's melancholic chorale, enhancing it without being in the least bit obtrusive."
[ Hamelin, Marc-André. "Godowsky's Studies on Chopin's Etudes." Liner notes for ''Godowsky: The Complete Studies on Chopin's Etudes''. Hyperion. CDA67411/2, 2000, p. 17.]
Notes and references
External links
*
''Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 6''played by
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot ( , ; 26 September 187715 June 1962) was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his po ...
(YouTube)
''Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 6''played by
Claudio Arrau
Claudio Arrau León (; February 6, 1903June 9, 1991) was a Chilean and American pianist known for his interpretations of a vast repertoire spanning the baroque music, baroque to 20th-century classical music, 20th-century composers, especially B ...
(YouTube)
''Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 6''played by
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (November 5, 1989) was a Russian and American pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of all time, he was known for his virtuoso technique, timbre, and the public excitement engendered by his playing.
Life ...
(YouTube)
''Chopin Etude Op. 10, No. 6''played by
Samson Francois (YouTube)
''Chopin/Godowsky Op. 10 No. 6'' (left hand)played by
David Saperton
David Saperton (October 29, 1889 – July 5, 1970) was an American pianist known for being the first pianist to play the entire original compositions as well as the complete transcriptions of his father-in-law, Leopold Godowsky. He also recorded ...
(1952) (YouTube)
''Chopin/Godowsky Op.10 No.6'' (left hand)played by
Marc-André Hamelin
Marc-André Hamelin, OC, OQ (born September 5, 1961) is a Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer who has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. He is on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music.
Biography
Born in Montreal, Quebec ...
(YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Etude Op. 10, No. 6 (Chopin)
10 06
1830 compositions
Compositions in E-flat minor