Étude Op. 10, No. 3 (Chopin)
Encyclopedia
Étude Op. 10 No. 3, in E major
, is a study for solo piano composed by Frédéric Chopin
in 1832. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England as the third piece of his Études Op. 10
. This is a slow cantabile
study for polyphonic
and legato
playing. Chopin himself believed the melody
to be his most beautiful one. It became famous through numerous popular arrangements. Neither "Tristesse'" (sadness) nor "Farewell" are names given by Chopin.
, its poetic character and the lingering yet powerful recitation of its cantabile
melody. It marks a significant departure from the technical virtuosity
required in standard études before Chopin's time, though, especially in the third volume of Clementi’s
Gradus ad Parnassum (1826), slow études for polyphonic playing, especially slower introductions
to études, as well as études with alternating slower and faster sections, can easily be found. According to German
scholar
and Chopin biographer Frederick Niecks
(1845–1925) Chopin said to his German pupil and copyist
Adolph Gutmann (1819–1882) that he "had never in his life written another such beautiful melody (‘chant’); and on one occasion when Gutmann was studying it the master lifted his arms with his hands clasped and exclaimed: ‘O, my fatherland!’ ("O, me [sic] patrie!")" Niecks writes that this study "may be reckoned among Chopin’s loveliest compositions" as it "combines classical chasteness of contour with the fragrance of romanticism." American music critic
James Huneker
(1857–1921) believes it to be "simpler, less morbid, sultry and languorous, therefore saner, than the much bepraised study in C sharp minor
."
Chopin originally gave his Op.10 No.3 Etude the tempo Vivace, later adding ..ma non troppo. It is also relevant to observe that this etude is in 2/4 time and not 4/4, although it is generally performed as a very slow 4/4 piece that was notated mostly in crotchets and quavers, rather than quavers and semiquavers. The visual impact of the score alone strongly suggests that a languid tempo is incorrect. There is also no doppio movimento following the opening section, which results in an erroneous drastic slowing down for the re-entry of the opening section. These are unwritten by Chopin, according to his autograph manuscript and other original source materials.
(A-B-A). The A section is of remarkable melodic
construction. Musicologist Hugo Leichtentritt
(1874–1951) believes its asymmetric structure, (5 + 3) + (5 + 7) bars, to be highly relevant to the impact of the melody. The first five bars can be seen as a contraction of 4 + 4 bars with the final clause (consequent
) of the prototypal eight-bar period
replaced by bar 5. Italian composer and editor Alfredo Casella
(1883–1947) notices the Pelléas
-like effect of the oscillating major thirds in bars 4/5 anticipating Debussy
by more than half a century. According to Leichtentritt bars 6 – 8 with its stretto
and final ritenuto
can be interpreted as the contraction of a four-bar clause
. The melody is accompanied
by oscillating semiquavers
played by the right hand in a manner reminiscent of the Adagio cantabile movement of Beethoven’s
Sonata Pathétique
while the syncopated
rhythm in the left hand somewhat counteracts the simple "naiveté" of this oscillation. The melody itself is characterized by repeated notes. A novelty are the distinct crescendo
and diminuendo
signs allocated "polyphonically" and sometimes even differing in the two voices played by the right hand.
In the middle section (poco più animato
), characterized by rhythmic shifts
and sudden harmonic
turns, theme
and accompaniment are fused into oscillating double notes. There are five eight-bar phrases
. Leichtentritt observes that each eight-bar phrase is "ruled by a new motif
" and that "each of these segments surpasses the preceding one in sonority and brilliancy." The third period, although it stays chromatically centered around E major, is a long sequence of diminished seventh
and tritone
intervals, littered with accidentals
and irregular rhythms
difficult to play. It reaches a climax in the fourth period (bars 46 – 53), a bravura
passage of double sixths for both hands. The fifth period (bars 54 – 61), leading back to the final restatement of the theme, can be described as an extended dominant seventh
. Leichtentritt believes it to be "one of the most exquisite sound impressions ever contrived for the piano." Its effect is "based on its contrast with the fourth period and on the gradation of the most tender nuances in piano." The final A section is a quite literal though shortened restatement of the first one. At the end of the étude the fair copy autograph contains the directive attacca il presto con fuoco which means that Chopin foresaw the joint performance of both this étude and the following one.
This étude’s similarity to a nocturne
is frequently noted. Leichtentritt calls the étude a "nocturne like piece of intimate and rich cantabile
melodics [gesangreicher, inniger Melodik], relieved in its middle section by a highly effective sound-unfolding [Klangentfaltung] of a novel and peculiarly original character [Gepräge]." German pianist and composer Theodor Kullak
(1818–1882) calls the study a "lovely poetic tone-piece".
(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 [Chopin’s] tempo [MM 100]." The original autograph
(first draft) bears the marking Vivace
changed to Vivace ma non troppo
in the clean copy (Stichvorlage) for the French edition. Ekier observes: "Only in print did Chopin change it to Lento ma non troppo
simultaneously adding a metronome mark
." The middle section, especially the bravura passage in sixths at the climax, is always played at a much faster tempo than the A section. An argument in favor of Chopin’s fast metronome mark, according to Ekier, is the fact that the middle section "has the marking poco più animato
[not in bold print], which suggests only a slight acceleration of the opening tempo." This indication is not found in the autograph
s, showing that Chopin originally envisioned a fast and unified tempo for the étude. Chopin disliked excessive sentiments expressed during performance, as it tore the musical structure he initially intended. Chopin also eschewed a beleaguering tempo with distinct pulse since it destroyed the significance of the 2/4 time signature.
NZM
article on Pianoforte-Études, NZM (1836), the study is classified under the category "melody and accompaniment in one hand simultaneously." As the right hand part contains a melody (and sometimes an extra filling voice) to be played by the three "weaker fingers" and an accompaniment figure played by the first two fingers, the hand can be divided into an "active element" and an "accompanying element" not unlike in the Étude Op. 10 No. 2
. French pianist Alfred Cortot
(1877–1962) especially mentions the importance of "polyphonic
and legato
playing," the "individual tone value of the fingers" and the "intense expressiveness imparted by the weaker fingers."
Preparatory exercises consist in addressing two "distinct muscular
areas" of the hand by playing two voices with one hand, each voice with a "different intensity in tone." Cortot believes that the "weight of the hand" should lean towards the fingers playing the predominant part while the others "remain limp." He recommends practicing the right-hand part of the first twenty bars (the A section) in three distinct modes of articulation
and dynamics
simultaneously, the top voice forte
and legato, the middle one mp, and the lowest semiquavers in pp and staccato. Concerning the legato Cortot states that the intensity of tone is imparted "by pressure and not by attack." He further observes that legato of notes played in succession by the same finger can only be achieved by the portamento
device." His exercises for the double notes of the middle section stress "firm position of the hand" and "vigour of attack." In regard to the pedal Cortot recommends pedal
changes synchronized with the bass line (six changes per bar). No pedal indication by Chopin is found in manuscript
s or original editions.
version for the left hand alone in his Studies on Chopin's Études
is a "rather faithful transformation" "creating the illusion of two-hand writing." It is transposed
to D flat major
.
Transcriptions for voice with a relative adaptation of words already existed in Chopin’s time. When he was in London in 1840, he heard Maria Malibran
sing one of these "adaptations" and pronounced himself extremely pleased.
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with 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....
, is a study for solo piano composed by Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
in 1832. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England as the third piece of his Études Op. 10
Études (Chopin)
The Études by Frédéric Chopin are three sets of solo studies for the piano, There are twenty-seven overall, comprising two separate collections of twelve, numbered Opus 10 and 25, and a set of three without opus number.-Composition:...
. This is a slow cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
study for polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
and legato
Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
playing. Chopin himself believed the melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
to be his most beautiful one. It became famous through numerous popular arrangements. Neither "Tristesse'" (sadness) nor "Farewell" are names given by Chopin.
Significance
This étude differs from most of Chopin's in its tempoTempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
, its poetic character and the lingering yet powerful recitation of its cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
melody. It marks a significant departure from the technical virtuosity
Virtuoso
A virtuoso is an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in the fine arts, at singing or playing a musical instrument. The plural form is either virtuosi or the Anglicisation, virtuosos, and the feminine form sometimes used is virtuosa...
required in standard études before Chopin's time, though, especially in the third volume of Clementi’s
Muzio Clementi
Muzio Clementi was a celebrated composer, pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer. Born in Italy, he spent most of his life in England. He is best known for his piano sonatas, and his collection of piano studies, Gradus ad Parnassum...
Gradus ad Parnassum (1826), slow études for polyphonic playing, especially slower introductions
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
to études, as well as études with alternating slower and faster sections, can easily be found. According to German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
scholar
Scholarly method
Scholarly method or scholarship is the body of principles and practices used by scholars to make their claims about the world as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public.-Methods:...
and Chopin biographer Frederick Niecks
Frederick Niecks
Frederick Niecks was a German musical scholar and author, who was resident in Scotland for the bulk of his life. He is best remembered now for his biographies of Frédéric Chopin and Robert Schumann.-Biography:...
(1845–1925) Chopin said to his German pupil and copyist
Copyist
A copyist is a person who makes written copies. In ancient times, a scrivener was also called a calligraphus . The term's modern use is almost entirely confined to music copyists, who are employed by the music industry to produce neat copies from a composer or arranger's manuscript.-Music...
Adolph Gutmann (1819–1882) that he "had never in his life written another such beautiful melody (‘chant’); and on one occasion when Gutmann was studying it the master lifted his arms with his hands clasped and exclaimed: ‘O, my fatherland!’ ("O, me [sic] patrie!")" Niecks writes that this study "may be reckoned among Chopin’s loveliest compositions" as it "combines classical chasteness of contour with the fragrance of romanticism." American music critic
Music criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.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...
James Huneker
James Huneker
James Gibbons Huneker was an American music writer and critic.Huneker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano in Europe under Leopold Doutreleau and audited the Paris piano class of Frédéric Chopin's pupil Georges Mathias. He came to New York City in 1885 and remained there...
(1857–1921) believes it to be "simpler, less morbid, sultry and languorous, therefore saner, than the much bepraised study in C sharp minor
Étude Op. 25, No. 7 (Chopin)
Étude Op. 25, No. 7 in C-sharp minor is a solo piano technical study composed by Frédéric Chopin in 1834. Markedly different from Chopin's overall scheme of technical virtuosity, this étude focuses instead on perfect sound and phrasing, particularly for the left hand.- Structure :Étude Op. 25, No...
."
Chopin originally gave his Op.10 No.3 Etude the tempo Vivace, later adding ..ma non troppo. It is also relevant to observe that this etude is in 2/4 time and not 4/4, although it is generally performed as a very slow 4/4 piece that was notated mostly in crotchets and quavers, rather than quavers and semiquavers. The visual impact of the score alone strongly suggests that a languid tempo is incorrect. There is also no doppio movimento following the opening section, which results in an erroneous drastic slowing down for the re-entry of the opening section. These are unwritten by Chopin, according to his autograph manuscript and other original source materials.
Structure and stylistic traits
Like all of Chopin’s other études, this work is in ternary formTernary form
Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form, usually schematicized as A-B-A. The first and third parts are musically identical, or very nearly so, while the second part in some way provides a contrast with them...
(A-B-A). The A section is of remarkable melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
construction. Musicologist Hugo Leichtentritt
Hugo Leichtentritt
Hugo Leichtentritt was a German-Jewish musicologist and composer who spent much of his life in the USA. Composer Erich Walter Sternberg was one of his pupils.-Literary works:*R...
(1874–1951) believes its asymmetric structure, (5 + 3) + (5 + 7) bars, to be highly relevant to the impact of the melody. The first five bars can be seen as a contraction of 4 + 4 bars with the final clause (consequent
Period (music)
In music, a period is a group of phrases consisting usually of at least one antecedent phrase and one consequent phrase totaling about 8 measures in length . Generally, the antecedent ends in a weaker and the consequent in a stronger cadence; often, the antecedent ends in a half cadence while the...
) of the prototypal eight-bar period
Period (music)
In music, a period is a group of phrases consisting usually of at least one antecedent phrase and one consequent phrase totaling about 8 measures in length . Generally, the antecedent ends in a weaker and the consequent in a stronger cadence; often, the antecedent ends in a half cadence while the...
replaced by bar 5. Italian composer and editor Alfredo Casella
Alfredo Casella
Alfredo Casella was an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.- Life and career :Casella was born in Turin; his family included many musicians; his grandfather, a friend of Paganini's, was first cello in the San Carlo Theatre in Lisbon and eventually was soloist in the Royal Chapel in Turin...
(1883–1947) notices the Pelléas
Pelléas et Mélisande (opera)
Pelléas et Mélisande is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy. The French libretto was adapted from Maurice Maeterlinck's Symbolist play Pelléas et Mélisande...
-like effect of the oscillating major thirds in bars 4/5 anticipating Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
by more than half a century. According to Leichtentritt bars 6 – 8 with its stretto
Stretto
The term stretto comes from the Italian past participle of stringere, and means "narrow", "tight", or "close".In music the Italian term stretto has two distinct meanings:...
and final ritenuto
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
can be interpreted as the contraction of a four-bar clause
Period (music)
In music, a period is a group of phrases consisting usually of at least one antecedent phrase and one consequent phrase totaling about 8 measures in length . Generally, the antecedent ends in a weaker and the consequent in a stronger cadence; often, the antecedent ends in a half cadence while the...
. The melody is accompanied
Accompaniment
In music, accompaniment is the art of playing along with an instrumental or vocal soloist or ensemble, often known as the lead, in a supporting manner...
by oscillating semiquavers
Sixteenth note
thumb|right|Figure 1. A sixteenth note with stem facing up, a sixteenth note with stem facing down, and a sixteenth rest.thumb|right|Figure 2. Four sixteenth notes beamed together....
played by the right hand in a manner reminiscent of the Adagio cantabile movement of Beethoven’s
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
Sonata Pathétique
Piano Sonata No. 8 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique, was written in 1798 when the composer was 27 years old, and was published in 1799. Beethoven dedicated the work to his friend Prince Karl von Lichnowsky...
while the syncopated
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
rhythm in the left hand somewhat counteracts the simple "naiveté" of this oscillation. The melody itself is characterized by repeated notes. A novelty are the distinct crescendo
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
and diminuendo
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
signs allocated "polyphonically" and sometimes even differing in the two voices played by the right hand.
In the middle section (poco più animato
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
), characterized by rhythmic shifts
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
and sudden harmonic
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
turns, theme
Theme (music)
In music, a theme is the material, usually a recognizable melody, upon which part or all of a composition is based.-Characteristics:A theme may be perceivable as a complete musical expression in itself, separate from the work in which it is found . In contrast to an idea or motif, a theme is...
and accompaniment are fused into oscillating double notes. There are five eight-bar phrases
Period
Period may mean a full stop: a punctuation in American-English.Period or periodic may also refer to:-Science:* Orbital period, a concept in astronomy...
. Leichtentritt observes that each eight-bar phrase is "ruled by a new motif
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
" and that "each of these segments surpasses the preceding one in sonority and brilliancy." The third period, although it stays chromatically centered around E major, is a long sequence of diminished seventh
Diminished seventh
In classical music from Western culture, a diminished seventh is an interval produced by narrowing a minor seventh by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from A to G is a minor seventh, ten semitones wide, and both the intervals from A to G, and from A to G are diminished sevenths,...
and tritone
Tritone
In classical music from Western culture, the tritone |tone]]) is traditionally defined as a musical interval composed of three whole tones. In a chromatic scale, each whole tone can be further divided into two semitones...
intervals, littered with accidentals
Accidental (music)
In music, an accidental is a note whose pitch is not a member of a scale or mode indicated by the most recently applied key signature. In musical notation, the symbols used to mark such notes, sharps , flats , and naturals , may also be called accidentals...
and irregular rhythms
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
difficult to play. It reaches a climax in the fourth period (bars 46 – 53), a bravura
Bravura
In classical music, a bravura is a virtuosic passage intended to show off the skill of a performer, generally as a solo, and often in a cadenza. It can also be used as an adjective , or to refer to a performance of extraordinary virtuosity. The term comes from the Italian language for great skill....
passage of double sixths for both hands. The fifth period (bars 54 – 61), leading back to the final restatement of the theme, can be described as an extended dominant seventh
Dominant seventh chord
In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord,is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh...
. Leichtentritt believes it to be "one of the most exquisite sound impressions ever contrived for the piano." Its effect is "based on its contrast with the fourth period and on the gradation of the most tender nuances in piano." The final A section is a quite literal though shortened restatement of the first one. At the end of the étude the fair copy autograph contains the directive attacca il presto con fuoco which means that Chopin foresaw the joint performance of both this étude and the following one.
This étude’s similarity to a nocturne
Nocturne
A nocturne is usually a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night...
is frequently noted. Leichtentritt calls the étude a "nocturne like piece of intimate and rich cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
melodics [gesangreicher, inniger Melodik], relieved in its middle section by a highly effective sound-unfolding [Klangentfaltung] of a novel and peculiarly original character [Gepräge]." German pianist and composer Theodor Kullak
Theodor Kullak
Theodor Kullak was a German pianist, composer, and teacher.-Background:Kullak was born in Krotoschin in the Grand Duchy of Posen, in Wielkopolska - western part of Poland taken during the second partition of Poland by Kingdom of Prussia. He began his piano studies as a pupil of Albrecht Agthe in...
(1818–1882) calls the study a "lovely poetic tone-piece".
Tempo
Polish pianist and editor Jan EkierJan Ekier
Jan Ekier is a Polish pianist and composer widely known for his authoritative edition of Chopin's music for the Polish National Edition. He was born in Kraków, Poland...
(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 [Chopin’s] tempo [MM 100]." The original autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
(first draft) bears the marking Vivace
Vivace
Vivace is Italian for "lively" and "vivid". It is pronounced in the International Phonetic Alphabet.Vivace is used as an Italian musical term indicating a movement that is in a lively mood ....
changed to Vivace ma non troppo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
in the clean copy (Stichvorlage) for the French edition. Ekier observes: "Only in print did Chopin change it to Lento ma non troppo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
simultaneously adding a metronome mark
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
." The middle section, especially the bravura passage in sixths at the climax, is always played at a much faster tempo than the A section. An argument in favor of Chopin’s fast metronome mark, according to Ekier, is the fact that the middle section "has the marking poco più animato
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
[not in bold print], which suggests only a slight acceleration of the opening tempo." This indication is not found in the autograph
Autograph
An autograph is a document transcribed entirely in the handwriting of its author, as opposed to a typeset document or one written by an amanuensis or a copyist; the meaning overlaps with that of the word holograph.Autograph also refers to a person's artistic signature...
s, showing that Chopin originally envisioned a fast and unified tempo for the étude. Chopin disliked excessive sentiments expressed during performance, as it tore the musical structure he initially intended. Chopin also eschewed a beleaguering tempo with distinct pulse since it destroyed the significance of the 2/4 time signature.
Technical difficulties
In Schumann’sRobert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
NZM
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
Die Neue Zeitschrift für Musik was a music magazine published in Leipzig, co-founded by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke...
article on Pianoforte-Études, NZM (1836), the study is classified under the category "melody and accompaniment in one hand simultaneously." As the right hand part contains a melody (and sometimes an extra filling voice) to be played by the three "weaker fingers" and an accompaniment figure played by the first two fingers, the hand can be divided into an "active element" and an "accompanying element" not unlike in the Étude Op. 10 No. 2
Étude Op. 10, No. 2 (Chopin)
Étude Op. 10, No. 2, in A minor, is a technical study composed by Frédéric Chopin for the piano. Composed in 1829 it was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England This étude is an exercise in developing the independence of the weaker fingers of the right hand by playing rapid...
. French pianist Alfred Cortot
Alfred Cortot
Alfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
(1877–1962) especially mentions the importance of "polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
and legato
Legato
In musical notation the Italian word legato indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly and connected. That is, in transitioning from note to note, there should be no intervening silence...
playing," the "individual tone value of the fingers" and the "intense expressiveness imparted by the weaker fingers."
Preparatory exercises consist in addressing two "distinct muscular
Muscle
Muscle is a contractile tissue of animals and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. Muscle cells contain contractile filaments that move past each other and change the size of the cell. They are classified as skeletal, cardiac, or smooth muscles. Their function is to...
areas" of the hand by playing two voices with one hand, each voice with a "different intensity in tone." Cortot believes that the "weight of the hand" should lean towards the fingers playing the predominant part while the others "remain limp." He recommends practicing the right-hand part of the first twenty bars (the A section) in three distinct modes of articulation
Articulation (music)
In music, articulation refers to the musical direction performance technique which affects the transition or continuity on a single note or between multiple notes or sounds.- Types of articulations :...
and dynamics
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
simultaneously, the top voice forte
Dynamics (music)
In music, dynamics normally refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic or functional . The term is also applied to the written or printed musical notation used to indicate dynamics...
and legato, the middle one mp, and the lowest semiquavers in pp and staccato. Concerning the legato Cortot states that the intensity of tone is imparted "by pressure and not by attack." He further observes that legato of notes played in succession by the same finger can only be achieved by the portamento
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
device." His exercises for the double notes of the middle section stress "firm position of the hand" and "vigour of attack." In regard to the pedal Cortot recommends pedal
Piano pedals
Piano pedals are foot-operated levers at the base of a piano which change the instrument's sound in various ways. Modern pianos usually have three pedals, from left to right, the soft pedal , the sostenuto pedal , and the sustaining pedal...
changes synchronized with the bass line (six changes per bar). No pedal indication by Chopin is found in manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
s or original editions.
Paraphrases and arrangements
Leopold Godowsky’sLeopold Godowsky
Leopold Godowsky was a famed Polish American pianist, composer, and teacher. One of the most highly regarded performers of his time, he became known for his theories concerning the application of relaxed weight and economy of motion in piano playing, principles later propagated by Godowsky's...
version for the left hand alone in his Studies on Chopin's Études
Studies on Chopin's Etudes
The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's études. The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's études. The Studies on Chopin's Études, by Leopold Godowsky, is a set of 53 arrangements of Chopin's...
is a "rather faithful transformation" "creating the illusion of two-hand writing." It is transposed
Transposition (music)
In music transposition refers to the process, or operation, of moving a collection of notes up or down in pitch by a constant interval.For example, one might transpose an entire piece of music into another key...
to D flat major
D flat major
D-flat major is a major scale based on D-flat, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has five flats .Its relative minor is B-flat minor...
.
Transcriptions for voice with a relative adaptation of words already existed in Chopin’s time. When he was in London in 1840, he heard Maria Malibran
Maria Malibran
The mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran , was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity, becoming a legendary figure after her death at age 28...
sing one of these "adaptations" and pronounced himself extremely pleased.
Popular derivative
The memorable simplicity of the theme has led to its widespread use across a variety of media. In popular usage, it is invariably performed at a slower tempo marking than the original.- The 1939 song "Tristesse" by Tino RossiTino RossiTino Rossi was a singer and film actor.Born Constantino Rossi in Ajaccio, Corsica, France, he became a tenor of French cabaret and one of the great romantic idols of his time. Gifted with an operatic voice, a "Latin Lover" persona made him a movie star as well...
- The tangoTango musicTango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
"La melodía del corazón" recorded by the orchestra of Edgardo Donato with singer Romeo Gavio in 1940, and later the orchestra of Francisco Canaro with singer Francisco Amor, also 1940. - The song "Never Again", with lyrics by Hal Moore and recorded by the LeRoy HolmesLeRoy HolmesLeRoy Holmes was an American songwriter, composer, arranger and conductor....
Orchestra and Chorus, uses this melody. - The 1950 popular songPopular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
"No Other LoveNo Other Love (1950 song)"No Other Love" is a popular song.The words were written by Bob Russell. The music is credited to Paul Weston but is actually derived from Frédéric Chopin's Étude No. 3 in E, Op. 10...
," a hit for Jo StaffordJo StaffordJo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s...
, is derived from this melody. - The 1957 silent filmSilent filmA silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
comedy compilation The Golden Age of ComedyThe Golden Age of ComedyThe Golden Age of Comedy was a compilation of silent comedy films ,released in 1957, written and produced by Robert Youngson. Youngson had previously produced several award-winning short documentaries beforehand, and this was the first compilation of its kind in feature-length form...
features the piece as its main theme, arranged for banjo. - James LastJames LastJames Last is a German composer and big band leader. His "happy music" made his numerous albums best-sellers in Germany and the United Kingdom. His composition, "Happy Heart", became an international success in interpretations by Andy Williams and Petula Clark...
included an orchestral version on his album In Concert (1971). - The song So Deep Is The Night, which was a UK hit for comedian and singer Ken DoddKen DoddKenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
in 1964, also used the same melody. - "Divina Ilusión" performed by José JoséJosé JoséJosé Rómulo Sosa Ortiz , known by his artistic name José José, is a Mexican singer.Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" , José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals...
, is an adaptation of this melody. It was released in his album "Tan Cerca...Tan LejosTan Cerca...Tan LejosTan Cerca...Tan Lejos is the title of the studio album released by Mexican singer José José in 1975. The main hits of the album were: Candilejas , Sentimientos , Nuestros Recuerdos , Paloma 'Cada Mañana Que Te Vas and Divina...
" of 1975. - Serge GainsbourgSerge GainsbourgSerge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
's "Lemon Incest" in Love on the BeatLove on the BeatLove on the Beat is a 1984 album by French singer and songwriter Serge Gainsbourg. On this album, Gainsbourg tried his hand at the electronic new-wave movement, ripe with synthesizers, which were heavily popular at the time. The album was controversial due to its very sexual lyrical content, with...
(1984). - The song "Dans la Nuit" by Sarah BrightmanSarah BrightmanSarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
is derived from this melody. It was first released in the album "ClassicsClassics (Sarah Brightman album)Classics is Sarah Brightman's 2001 album, between La Luna and Encore. It consists in part of previously released material, such as "Time to Say Goodbye" and "Pie Jesu", and new titles such as "Ave Maria" and "Recuerdos de la Alhambra". Entertainment Weekly, although calling Brightman a "stronger...
" in 2001. - Michiru OshimaMichiru Oshima, is a Japanese composer who has worked on several video game, movie, and television titles. Her works include composition for the video games Genghis Khan II: Clan of the Gray Wolf for Super Nintendo, Ico for PlayStation 2, Legend of Legaia for the PlayStation , is a Japanese composer who has...
's composition was inspired by first movement of this melody. - The piece was played as a violin variation by Kahoko in the manga series La Corda D'Oro.
- The theme song to Gankutsuou, "We Were Lovers" by Jean-Jacques BurnelJean-Jacques BurnelJ. J. Burnel , is a Franco-English musician producer and songwriter, best known as the bass guitarist with the British rock band The Stranglers.-Life and career:...
, is based upon this melody. - The song "Li Ren Jie" (離人節, Parting Person Melody) by Jolin TsaiJolin TsaiJolin Tsai was born on 15 September 1980. She is a Taiwanese Golden Melody Award-winning Mandopop singer, dancer and actor. She is managed by Mars Entertainment Ltd .-Career:...
, uses this melody in the intro and instrumental part of the song. - The song "This Day of Days" by Jerry ValeJerry ValeJerry Vale is an American singer.-Career:In high school, in order to make some money, he took a job shining shoes in a barbershop in New York City. He sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy...
uses this melody. - In the 2005 film "The Three Burials of Melquiades EstradaThe Three Burials of Melquiades EstradaThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is a 2005 American drama film directed by Tommy Lee Jones and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It stars Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, Julio Cedillo, and Dwight Yoakam....
", the scene where Perkins (Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
), is drinking in a rural Mexican CantinaCantinaCantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments. It is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a cellar, winery, or vault.Cantinas are found in many towns of Italy...
, features a young girl playing the work on an out-of-tune piano in the background. - The song with the original Polish lyrics was recorded by Manca Izmajlova and the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra in 2007 for her album "Slavic Soul", with a new arrangement by Slavko Avsenik Jr.
External links
- Analysis of Chopin Etudes at Chopin: the poet of the piano
- Manca Izmajlova – F. Chopin – Etude n.3 Tristesse (Live 2010) sung by Manca Izmajlova with the Russian State Symphony Cinema Orchestra (Youtube)
- Étude Op. 10, No. 3 played by Ignacy Jan PaderewskiIgnacy Jan PaderewskiIgnacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
(Youtube) - Étude Op. 10, No. 3 played by Alfred CortotAlfred CortotAlfred Denis Cortot was a Franco-Swiss pianist and conductor. He is one of the most renowned 20th-century classical musicians, especially valued for his poetic insight in Romantic period piano works, particularly those of Chopin and Schumann.-Early life and education:Born in Nyon, Vaud, in the...
(Youtube) - Étude Op. 10, No. 3 played by Vladimir HorowitzVladimir HorowitzVladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
(Youtube) - Etude in E, Opus 10, No. 3 played by Valentina IgoshinaValentina IgoshinaValentina Igoshina is a Russian classical pianist.-Biography:Valentina Igoshina began studying piano with her mother, and first took lessons at home at the age of four...
(YouTube) - Chopin/Godowsky Op.10 No.3 (left hand) played by Marc-André HamelinMarc-André HamelinMarc-André Hamelin, OC, CQ, is a French Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer.Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marc-André Hamelin began his piano studies at the age of five. His father, a pharmacist by trade who was also a pianist, introduced him to the works of Alkan, Godowsky, and Sorabji when he was...
(Youtube)