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 ...
wrote his ''Trois nouvelles études'' ("three new studies") for piano in 1839, as a contribution to "Méthode des méthodes de piano", a piano instruction book by
Ignaz Moscheles and
François-Joseph Fétis
François-Joseph Fétis (; 25 March 1784 – 26 March 1871) was a Belgian musicologist, critic, teacher and composer. He was among the most influential music intellectuals in continental Europe. His enormous compilation of biographical data in the ...
.
These études are less technical than the composer's
Op. 10 and 25 and retain Chopin's original formula for harmonic and structural balance. They are often erroneously described as posthumous, due to their lack of an
opus number
In music, the opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's publication of that work. Opus numbers are used to distinguish among ...
.
Études
# The first of the ''Trois nouvelles études'' is an intimate piece in
F minor. It develops students' facility with 3-on-4
polyrhythm
Polyrhythm () is the simultaneous use of two or more rhythms that are not readily perceived as deriving from one another, or as simple manifestations of the same meter. The rhythmic layers may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rh ...
s.
# The key of the second étude is
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 ...
sits atop a series of chords in the right hand with a simple bass in the left hand. It develops students' facility with 2-on-3 polyrhythms.
# The third and last étude, in
D major
D major is a major scale based on D (musical note), D, consisting of the pitches D, E (musical note), E, F♯ (musical note), F, G (musical note), G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, and C♯ (musical note), C. Its key signature has two S ...
, is the most technically challenging in this collection. It develops independence of voices and
articulation in the right hand, with the upper melodic line quite
legato over a staccato alto accompaniment. Some of the reaches required between the alto and soprano lines may be difficult for pianists with smaller hands.
References
External links
Chopin, Trois Nouvelles Études, B. 130Sheet music (with introductory note) at
Musopen
Musopen is an organization which creates, produces and disseminates Western classical music, via public domain recordings, sheet music and educational resources. It stands with the ChoralWiki and the Wind Repertory Project as among the most prom ...
*
Details Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
Data Lab
No. 1No. 2No. 3
played by Alfred Cortot on YouTube
No. 1No. 2No. 3
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 ...
on YouTube
Études by Frédéric Chopin
1839 compositions
{{Classical-composition-stub
Compositions in F minor
Compositions in A-flat major
Compositions in D-flat major