Etude no.9 - Op.10 no.9: F-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

The melody of this etude is haunting; I personally think that Chopin's use of the minor 2nd helps to achieve this. With the emotionally moving melody, the etude is obviously not just meant to improve a pianist's technique. Rather, it is a legitimate piece in and of itself. Learning outcomes to consider from this etude include playing difficult rhythms and placing an emphasis on the melody where it might not be natural to do so.

Etude no.8 - Op.10 no.8: F-major

Recording by Perahia

This etude conveys a state of frenzy during multiple sections. Though much of the emphasis of the piece is on the right hand (as it is playing sixteenth notes ascending and descending during the entirety of the piece), the melody is actually in the left hand. Referring to the notated score (which hopefully wasn't edited, etc.), Chopin makes sure that the pianist is specifically emphasizing each beat in a given measure. This may be one of the outcomes that Chopin hoped for in this piece, to get the pianist to emphasize each beat, even though there are a lot of notes going at once.

Etude no.7 - Op.10 no.7: C-major

Recording by Ashkenazy

The first part of the etude strongly pulses because of the dynamic markings. One thing that really stands out about this etude is that, though the right hand moves really fast (like it does in most etudes), it is playing consecutive chords instead of individual notes. This is definitely a right-hand etude; the left hand really doesn't do that much, technically speaking. I think maybe one thing that Chopin was trying to accomplish with this etude was to get the pianist to evenly sound both notes in the chords in the right hand.

Etude no.6 - Op.10 no.6: Eb-minor

Recording by Richter

The melody of this etude conveys such longing. Almost seeming like a nocturne, the etude perhaps serves the purpose of dealing with a difficult-to-read key signature and a key change, as well as maintaining smooth, consistent sixteenth-notes (that don't overpower the melody or distract from it).

Etude no.5 - Op.10 no.5: Gb-major

Recording by Horowitz

I've heard this one before, too. The key of this piece is very important to how it works: because it is in G-flat major, most of the notes are black-key notes. If the piece was written in F major, for example, it wouldn't nearly make as much sense from a technical standpoint. The main motif of the piece (it can't really be called a melody because it is only three notes long )is in the left hand.

Etude no.4 - Op.10 no.4: C#-minor

Recording by Horowitz

Wow! I don't know how many times I'm going to say that throughout the course of this listening adventure, but every single time it is well-deserved.

This piece uses dynamics and articulation very well: the dynamics (FPs, etc.) make the melody all the more expressive and exciting. Exact articulation is necessary for the sixteenth notes that are present throughout the entire piece (so that the accompaniment isn't muddy). The way that the melody is constructed makes its intensity increase as the piece progresses. Additionally, the rhythm of this piece is very stable, as the emphasis is usually on each beat in each measure.

Etude no.3 - Op.10 no.3: E-major

Recording by Rubinstein

I have heard this piece many, many times, as I learned it myself. It is absolutely brilliant! The melody is in the right hand, a lot of which the pinky finger has to play: this is quite challenging. The way that the piece has two main ideas that are polar opposites really makes it interesting and dynamic. The flowing melody becomes schizophrenic in a heartbeat, then goes back to the melody as if nothing even happened.

Etude no.2 - Op.10 no.2: A-minor

Recording by Ashkenazy

Sounds similar to Flight of the Bumblebee because of the chromatic ups and downs. Not much else to say except that this one could definitely be more tricky to play because of its chromatic nature. Because of this nature, there doesn't seem to be a strong melodic force.

Etude no.1 - Op.10 no.1: C-major

I would be moving on to Chopin's chamber works today except that I can't find a recording right now. Also, since my life is kind of crazy at this moment, I am going to start on the piano etudes, which I know are short ;)

Recording by Ashkenazy

In this 2-minute etude, Chopin explored the key of C Major quite thoroughly. With the melody in the left hand, the pianist plays sixteenth-note arpeggios for the entirety of the song. Honestly, though this piece may sound difficult (and it definitely ISN'T an 'easy' piece), it really isn't that hard to learn because of the repetitious nature of the arpeggios.

Ballade no.4 - Op.52: F-minor

Recording by Emanuel Ax

Though the work is written in F minor, it starts out in a major key. The troubled melody is very poignant and actually quite touching and addicting. Ax makes the right hand melody sing; the fact that the melody is unstable makes it even more compelling. In the middle of the piece, a whole new melody is introduced: this melody has a very stable chord structure. After this new melody is introduced, Chopin again makes a substantial key change to A Major. Chopin soon changes back to F minor and after repeating the beginning main theme, repeats the theme with some virtuosic variations. This brilliant passage leads to a brief key change to C Major. Then comes the peak virtuoso passage, an absolutely stunning way to end the piece.

This is definitely one of the pieces that I want to learn...Wow! An all-around satisfying piece with both a stirring melody and some challenging passages for the pianist.

Ballade no.3 - Op.47: Ab-major

Recording by Rubinstein

The piece starts out sounding like a dance, which got me wondering what "Ballade" actually means. (According to Wikipedia, piano ballads are narrative in style. I couldn't find anything that said they are supposed to be like a dance, but Wikipedia DID say that Chopin frequently wrote ballades in 6/8 time.) After a free-spirited section, the beginning motif is repeated. Chopin has a very simple rhythmic pattern that occurs here, but because of his emphasis on the off-beats, interest is still retained. (The emphasis is on the third and sixth beats, instead of on the first and fourth.) The short sostenuto section before the third return to the melody contains an emotional peak. After making a key change to E Major, the pianist is allowed to show his skills through a rapid, fast-moving section. Further on, after going back to Ab Major, the pianist is challenged with simultaneous chords that span an octave. After descending arpeggio-like sixteenth notes, the piece ends dramatically on an Ab Major chord.

Ballade no.2 - Op.38: F-major

Recording by Rubinstein
The ballade starts out with a light, lilting feel in 6/8 with alternating quarter notes and eighth notes (hence the lilt). After modulating to A minor and then back to F major, Chopin introduces the "presto con fuoco" section. (Even though I am only on my second day of doing this, I am starting to think that Chopin had a tendency to write schizophrenic pieces. He goes straight from a lilting melody that reminds one of strolling through a meadow to FIRE.) Returning to the beginning melody, there is a moment of variation that is intriguing. There is a beat and a half (plus a fermata over the half) of rest which replaces the end of the melodic phrase: surprising. A repeated shift between lilting melody and stretto fortissimo sections ensues, followed by more fire. The agitato section ascends and descends chromatically until a fortissimo chord climax is reached. To finish the piece off, Chopin returns to the beginning octave lilt, ending in A minor.

Blog: New Direction. Inspiration: Undisclosed Source. Goal: listen to all of Chopin's works .

Lofty goal. Yes I know. Starting at the top of the list, which is comprised of 244 works (according to http://www.pianosociety.com/cms/index.php?section=636), is Ballade no.1 - Op.23: G-minor (1835). The recording I chose to listen to was by Vladmir Horowitz (one of my piano gods).

When I started listening, the first few notes were instantly familiar. Apparently I had heard this somewhere before. Not surprising. There is obvious yearning during the beginning measures of the piece: a melody of consistent dotted half-notes accompanied by a driving quarter note accompaniment. The composer seems to vent this yearning desire in the first passage of sixteenth notes, a kind of musical "sigh." This sigh turns into a frustrated cry during the sempre piu mosso section, which means that the tempo is "more fast throughout." After this release, the composer goes back to a gentle, calm melody that is supported by a river of eighth notes. This builds up to another peak with pounded chords that goes into another showy section of eighth note runs. Melting back gradually to the minor theme from the beginning, there is a moment of parallel sixths before the yearning desire explodes and the feeling is that of someone "losing it." This can be felt by the tempo marking that Chopin expressed, namely "Presto con fuoco," which means fast with fire. After some crazy sections that include chromatic scales, Chopin ends the piece on a booming G octave chord.

What an experience! I think this is going to be fun...

Music

Singing/listening to music/singing while listening to music is very refreshing. Lesson learned.

Steinway

Ever played on a Steinway? Probably. Ever played on a Steinway upright? Yeah...that's what I THOUGHT. It's fun to do something new, even if it's just playing on a Steinway upright for the first time. Lesson learned.

Harry Potter

I forgot how much I love the Harry Potter movies. It is often a good idea to go back to the stuff you liked 5 years ago and re-experience them. You may relive some awesome memories. Lesson learned.

Change

Change is good. Lesson learned.

Waiting

Procrastination WILL get you sometime. And the longer you wait, the more painful it is to get back to work. (No matter how much you tell yourself that waiting long enough will make the problem will go away.) It's like waiting to do laundry until it doesn't fit in the hamper anymore: the pile doesn't get smaller until you actually DO something about it. Waiting around doesn't change ANYTHING! Lesson I am trying to learn. ;)

Relatives

Gotta love those relatives! You never can have too many. Lesson learned.