Friedrich Burgmüller
Arabesque
in A Minor, Op. 100 No. 2
from 25 Easy and Progressive Studies
The word arabesque means ornament. What other words come to your mind when thinking of an ornament? You can think of beautiful, fancy, colorful, or spirited - words that can come to life in a performance of this delightful piece.
Year: -
Period: Early Romantic
Piano score: PS Edition 
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Decorative, dramatic fun
The verve and esprit of this study of rapid five-finger patterns makes it very enjoyable to both players and listeners. The left hand chords need to be played crisply and decisively and the dynamic and articulation markings (slurs, staccato, accents) followed carefully to achieve full effect. In the B section, the finger-work is taken over by the left hand. Short and unassuming as it is, this etude even features a dramatic "grand finale".Background
This piece belongs to Friedrich Burgmüller's set of 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, one of the most widely used educational works in the repertoire.Practice & Performance Tips:
This is an interesting study on five-finger patterns. Strive for an even touch and make sure that the last note of each slur has a slight wrist lift. This lift may help play the second beat more lightly, giving more charm to this study. The tempo marking Allegro scherzando means "lively and jokingly". The word "leggiero" means light. Do not force the sound, but play from your knuckles.Analyze the harmony (left hand) for the A section and try to memorize its chord progression. Play each chord with a quick release for a crisp sound.
The B section has the five-finger pattern on the left hand now. Strive for a steady pulse without slowing down. Again, make sure you play the last note of each slur with a quick release/lift. This might become easier if you think of the first note in each downbeat as part of a line. Therefore, your bass line outlined in mm. 11-16 is G-sharp, A, G-sharp, A, C-sharp, D.
Give more excitement to the ending by keeping the beat steady (without speeding up or slowing down) and gradually crescendo until the end. The end is marked "risoluto" (firm and decided). The "sforzando" will help give a dramatic effect. Think of the last chord as the loudest point (or the largest ornament) in the entire piece.... Sign up for a Gold membership to read the practice tips.
Forum posts about this piece:
First "real" piece you played? by lelle
Inspired by the topic "Last piece on piano" I wanted to turn the question around a bit and ask what the first "real" piece you learned and played was? I'm thinking about something that...
Pieces before Chopin Waltz in A minor B150 Opus Posth.? by iknownothing999
Hi guys! I started to study about 2 months ago. I studied the C major Bach prelude and Burgmuller Arabesque (op. 100 no 2) by now. I know it will take time before studying it, but do you have any...
Need help on practice routines and piece selections (some background on me too) by okansoylu
Hello all :) I have started learning the piano about 4 months ago. I live in a kind of a remote coastal town. It was very hard to find a teacher. I have found someone but he is not interested in...
opinion on practice schedule by kalospiano
Hello guys. After a year of self-study I will finally start taking lessons with a teacher in a couple of days. I'm keeping my fingers crossed in the hope that the teacher will agree...
Arabesque Op. 100 No. 2 in A Minor, a composition by the early romantic composer Friedrich Burgmüller who was born in 1806 and died in 1874. It was composed during the Early Romantic period and is part of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies.