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Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) composed principally for the piano for the duration of the Romantic era. As a time epoch that witnessed new developments in music, literature, engineering and other disciplines that broke with a great deal of conventional approaches, this composer’s piano etudes integrated a wide spectrum of pianistic technical traits into rich, complex musical textures of a distinguishable style. The 27 piano etudes, of which the initial twelve integrate Opus 10, quickly became staples of the piano repertory and enjoyed a public introduction by pianists that included Chopin’s friend and fellow composer Franz Liszt. Etudes 13 through 24 were assigned Opus 25, and three further and added etudes were titled Trois Nouvelles Etudes and were never cataloged. The concert etudes of Opus 10 quickly became staples of the outstanding pianists’ recitals, and testament to the ingenuity of composition is the fact that these works to this day are featured in live programs, recordings, musicology surveys and writings, and other media. Individual etudes such as the Revolutionary Etude and Tristesse were borrowed and liberally arranged in Hollywood movies, radio broadcasts, ballet music and other formats. Pianists such as Liszt, Rachmaninoff and Earl Wild championed these beauteous works, and each artisan imparted sure interpretational subtle differences in meaning or opinion or attitude that sourced colors and sonorities distinguishable to their performances. Wrapped within the terrifi music are enormous technical challenges that far exceed placement of proper fingers on the rectify keys. A wide range of musical and pianistic conceptions are embedded so deftly in this collection of person masterworks that the listener must many times focus on those specific points to realize they are being addressed because the musical thoughts, so mature and vibrant, often times mask them! Virtually all of the person etudes include multiple technical traits that the pianist must conquer while never losing sight that the music, not the technical features, must be with great success communicated to the listener. Prior to this compositional milestone, composers wrote studies for pianists that seldom stood on their musical merits but were rather designed to amplify technical prowess alone. That changed once the Chopin etudes were published. Not only were more fertile progressed piano studies available, but they devised a prototype – a foundation – for etudes of the future composed by Liszt, Saint-Saens, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff and others. With the composition and publication of his piano etudes, Chopin extrapolated the conception of a piano study into a originative wealth of musical innovation that transcended all former attempts and built a conception for future composers. Pianists and music lovers will carry on to be amply rewarded as they gain a deeper understanding of these pieces and their affect on classical music evolution. |
