TIIE ETUDE FEBRUARY 1920 Page 79 m 11 ;• : The Etudes of Chopin and How They Ought to be Practiced By I. PHILIPP Professor of Pianoforte Playing at the Paris Conservatoire AT less than twenty years of age (October 20, 1829) Cli<»pin wrote from Warsaw to his friend, Titus Woy -ciecliowski, "I have composed an etude after my own peculiar manner." And on the 11th of November of the same year he announced to the same friend that he had completed a series of etudes with which he would be delighted to have him become acquainted. It was be-tween Chopin's nineteenth and his twenty-fifth year that he composed the twelve etudes (Op. 10) which re-vealed more than any others his extraordinary genius. In these, one might say, he transformed musical art in general. For these etudes mark an epoch. Let us consider the repertoire of etudes in the year 1830— when one plays those of other composers: the pretty etudes of Moscheles and of Cramer, of Humell and of Berger, so mediocre; those of Clementi, so classic; those of Kessler, so necessary for the development of pianistic technic, but so dry J Bertini's agreeable studies and exercises, or Czerny's innumerable and use-ful technical works, useful and occasionally graceful. W e may play all of these only to discover that they do not compare with those of Chopin. For these mas-terpieces open a horizon to music and technic—these inventions, so audacious, so full of poetry and abso-lute perfection of form. The American biographer of Chopin, the spirited and ingenious writer, James Huneker, in his fine book, "Chopin, the Man and the Artist," speaks of these etudes as the work of a Titan, and predicts for them that they will last forever. "They will never be equalled," says another critic, Nieks. "These studies are emphatically the aesthetic view of the otherwise dry technic," Kullak says. "In a remarkable manner Chopin here gives all his art—all his genius. He is so young, so virile in these etudes—more so than in any of his other works," writes George Matthias. "Here in these etudes," says Stephen Heller, "is all the freshness of youth and all the originality of genius. H e has penetrated an unexplored region of harmony and rhythm." The biographer of Liszt, Mme. Ramann, on the con-trary, insinuates lightly that they were largely inspired by Liszt. The reverse is the truth. The date of his composition is all against it. For instance, let us analyze especially the etudes (Op. 10) dedicated to Franz Liszt. No. i, A Major. In teaching his pupil, Mile. Streicher, this etude, Chopin said to her, "This etude will do you very much good if you study it correctly; it will stretch your hand. But if you study it badly it will injure you." On a bass proud and strong these formidable arpeggios traverse the keyboard. Before Chopin no one had ever dared these extensions, mount-ing and ascending, and this etude inaugurated what was of a certainty a new school of technic. It is novel, audacious, both in design and arrangement. The etude should be played slower, as it is marked 160 to the quarter note, perhaps, with a strong, broad tone, forte throughout, increasing to a fortissimo in the disso-nances. The severe character a la Bach of it must be preserved. Preparatory Exercises The etude requires to be practiced two measures at Legatissimo e Vivo, with a firm, sure touch, a time, and (above all things) with careful listening ^ R to the tones produced on the piano. Transpose to all keys. Hold all notes as long as possible. Through all the keys: F : Mf, P, observe dynamics exactly. Practice each group of notes three times. With interpolated double notes, play very carefully. In the same manner as the others, Lento Hold as long as possible, but do not overdo. LATEST PORTRAIT OF I. PhILIPP NoiE. I do not know wlietber it is possible to grade these etudes in the order in which they should be taken accord-ing to their difficulties ; but here is a grading that is fairly rational: Op. 25, No. 2 ; Op. 25, No. 7 ; Op. 25, No. 4 Op 95, No. 5 ; Op. 10. No. 6 ; Op. 25, No. 3 ; Op. 25, No. 0 Op 10, No. 0 ; Op. 10, No. F ; Op. 10, No. 3 ; Op. 10, No. 5 Op 25. No. F : Op. 25. No. 8 ; Op. 10, No. 4 ; Op. 10, No. 8 Op 10, No. 10; Op. 25, No. 12; Op. 10, No. 12; Op. 10, No 11: Op. 10, No. 2 ; Op, 10, No. 1 ; Op. 25, No. 6 ; Op. 25, No. 10; Op. 25, No. 11.
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