Burgmuller op. 100?

[mark1]

Hey there,  could someone explain what are the goals of this series. All 25 pieces work with certain aspects of technique... I was curious what pieces work on what techniques? This may be a good question for all of those future piano teachers.                                Thanks for your help.                                          mark

[bernhard]

Op. 100 is particularly useful for children because in all of the 25 etudes the range never goes above a seventh, which is nice if you have little hands. As far as studies go, they are more musical and less dry than most (the other good ones being by Heller)

Although some teachers just assign these etudes as pieces, I do not like this approach very much. I like to give etudes that will lead and relate closely to a specific piece the student wants to learn. I have described in detail one of them and how I used it in this thread:

https://www.pianoforum.net/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=teac;action=display;num=1083060519

Roughly, this is what they are all about. (Hopefully people will add to it).

BURGMÜLLER OP. 100 TWENTY-FIVE ETUDEs

No. 1 - La Candeur (Frankness) in C major

By avoiding the use of the fourth finger (which is always the most difficult finger to tackle), this study provides a confidence-building starting point. Form playing it the student should get a sense of rhythm (accenting the first and third beat) and a feeling for expressiveness, rather than simple technique in a mechanical sense.

No.2 - L' Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor

A favourite with many people, this piece will help with speed. Very good for scale practice, it will develop evenness and clear articulation when playing 1,2,3,4, and 5 of the right hand (also left hand).

No. 3 - La pastoral (Pastoral) in G major

Will teach the student how to make a melody sing. The fingering needs to be followed exactly, so the student will learn the importance of ironclad fingering. There are grace notes, and repeated notes – although you do not need to, it is a good opportunity to learn to change fingers in the same note and investigate why to do it.

No. 4 - La petite Reunion (The Little Party) in C major

This is an excellent piece to learn about expressive playing, since this is clearly programmatic music. In the first six bars the the left hand is inviting the guests to the party and the right hand is the gathering of the guests. In the seventh bar the party starts; a conversation develops: the left hand talks and the right hand responds, and vice-versa. The party keeps going until bar 27 where it gets back to the atmosphere at the beginning. Technically this deals with scales in thirds, and the ability to play two notes simultaneously at the same volume. It is also a good opportunity to learn to play scales by shifting the hand, rather than passing the thumb under, and to avoid exaggerated/tense finger motion.

No. 5 Innocence in F major

Another favourite. Excellent for scale practice (hands separate) – mostly descending-scales, but there is also an ascending scale. Also very good for having one hand accented (RH) while the other (LH) is subdued (on the second part).

No. 6 - Progres (Progress) in C major

Scale practice for hands together. It will also help in developing an even staccato. From the ninth bar, there are unusual accents with slurs. So this is a very good piece to learn  how to shape and phrase a passage by changes in articulation.

No. 7 - Le Courant limpide (The Limpid Stream) in G major

I discussed this one in great detail in the thread mentioned above.

No. 8 - La Gracieuse (Grace) in F major

A study in embellishment. Good preparation for Bach 2 voice invention 14, since the patterns are similar. It will teach the student play embellishing notes evenly and clearly. Alternative fingerings are possible, so this is also a good opportunity to discuss principles of fingering. Some of the notes are accented (RH), so this is also a good opportunity to develop the ability to accent a note in one hand while maintaining the other hand subdued. This piece requires nimbleness and lightness of touch.

No. 9 - La chasse (The Hunt) in C major

Although there are octave skips they are not a problem for small hands – although they will need to develop accuracy in skipping. Again a programmatic piece with good scope to develop expressive playing. The piece starts with hunting-whistle sounds approaching, the horses start cantering, the hunting dogs also start cantering, the whistles sound again louder, and everything (hunting band) gradually dies away.

No. 10 - Tendre Fleur (Tender Blossom) in D major

Good piece for developing a smooth, flowing melodic line. It will teach delicacy of touch and balance between the right and left hand “conversation”.

No. 11 - La Bergeronnette (The Wagtail) in C major

This is imitative music, with lots of bird-singing sounds (played by broken chords) Again, a good piece to develop expressive playing since the piece is describing a bird flying. Technically this is mostly about broken chords and dynamic control.

No. 12 - L' adieu (The Farewell) in A minor

Technically this is about playing very fast triplets evenly and with clear articulation. As with all the pieces in Op. 100, it aims to develop the xcapacity of the student to express a range of emotions, in this case agitation (the peculiar way that the sadness at the departure of friends is expressed in this case - close to desperation). The piece modulates to C major in the middle part, becoming more lyrical and gentle: consolation; then the it returns to A minor: sadness again. This provides an excellent opportunity to discuss modulation and illustrate key relationships. At the coda, the piece starts dying away: resignation. The accent at the last note is important: It expresses resoluteness in shaking away the sadness.

I will continue tomorrow.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mark1]

...I'm all ears!                                            Mark

[Sekoul]

I'm sorry if this is slightly off subject, but a while back i asked about burgmueller's op. 109 #13 (Orage) and i never received a single answer. i would appraciate any help on how to play it. i can't get it JUST right!

[bernhard]

No. 13 - Consolation in C major

Excellent piece to learn how to separate melody and accompaniment played by the same hand. This is the kind of skill that will required by most romantic repertory (in particular Schumann and Mendelssonh). It also allows the student to experiment with different ways of accenting notes (playing louder, stretching the time and slight displacement of right and left hand). Bars 1 – 5 the semibreves should be accented (and held) while the quavers are played as accompaniment. This is one of the most important skills a student can develop. From bar 6 onwards, the melody becomes embedded in the accompaniment either in the RH or in the LH, demanding finger independence to achieve the correct effect of a melodic line over a “mist” of sound. Very useful study in sound balance. Also one of the nicest of the studies. It can easily be played as an early recital piece.

No. 14 - La Styrienne in G major

This piece is a waltz. The student will have the opportunity to learn about waltz rhythm (which is never exactly as notated) and to understand the importance of accenting beats within the bar (Um – pah – pah), which is the most important consideration in any interpretation of “dances”. It might be interesting to learn other dances in ¾ (e.g. minuet) to compare how different two dances with same time signature can be. Also good to develop the ability to distinguish between legato and staccato. And this is a fast piece. So speed training will also be accomplished.

No. 15 - Ballade in C minor

I believe the word “ballade” as a piece of music was first used by Chopin. A Ballade is basically a story told through music. So the important question for the student here is: What story are you telling? And how are you going to tell it? Of course there is no “correct” answer, and as the studies progress, more and more interpretative options become available. So in my opinion this is an excellent study to expereimnt with different ways of playing, none more correct than others. Technically this is a good study for chordal playing. The melody swaps hands, so both hands get a go at accenting the melody and playing the chords. Also good to show the difference between “singing” the melody and “reciting” the melody (= recitativo).

No. 16 - Douce Plainte (Tender Grieving) in G minor

Good for the expressivity of sad pieces. Mostly in piano, technically the main challenge is to be able to accent notes within a soft context, so that the accented notes do not sound loud.

No. 17 - La Babilarde (The Chatterbox) in F major

This will teach how to play one hand legato (RH) while the other plays staccato (LH). The skips in bars 1 - 6 will help practising accuracy. It will teach to negotiate changes on repeated notes on both RH and LH.

No. 18 - Inquietude in E minor

Another study to practise playing one hand legato (RH) while the other plays staccato (LH). The LH must be played with a very steady beat while the RH  can go around it far more freely.

No. 19 - Ave Maria in A major

Treat the first 16 bars as polyphonic writing in four voices. Very good to show how to approach this sort of chorale pattern (break the four voices into four melodic loines and practise them separately). You can bring pout different melodic strands depending on which note you accent. There is scope for a lot of experimentation here. Also good for the expression of “religious” and contemplative feelings.

No. 20 - La tarentelle (Tarantella) in D minor

Excellent (as all dances are) for rhythm and accenting beats. Also good opportunity to discuss compound time signatures (6/8 = 2 beats per bar. Why?). Also good for playing acciacaturas at speed.

No. 21 - L' lfarmonie des Anges (Harmony of the Angels) in G major

Excellent study on broken cords (arpeggios) over a wide range of the keyboard, chaging hands. The aim is of course to produce a sound of such evenness and fluidity that if the listener closed his.her eyes s/he would not be able to say which hand is playing what. Very good opportunity to discuss when to use accents only on the first beat of the bar (e.g. bars 1 – 2) and when to accent each beat in a bar (e.g. bars 3 – 4). Another study that could make for a nice recital piece.

No. 22 - Barcarolle (The Chantey) in A-flat major

Excellent introduction to “boat songs” that can easily lead to the ones Mendelsoohn wrote, and from there to the more difficult ones by Faure. Again, a good opportunity to discuss compound time signatures, and if the student has learned th eTarnatelle above, a good comparison on how the same time signature can accommodate such disparate pieces. Expressing the gently rocking movement of a boat is the main challenge here.

No. 23 - Le Retour (The Return) in E-flat major

The technical challenge here is chords. Both hands must paly absolutely together if a rich, lush sound is to result. Also bringing up the melody (the top notes). All this must  be done at top speed.  Very good opportunity to identify chords and chord progressions.

No. 24 - L' Hirondelle (The Swallow) in G major

Another great early recital piece. With all the hand-crossing it looks positively spectacular. Besides teaching accurate hand crossing, this study also will help with bringing the melody (LH crossing over the RH) over the (subdued) RH arpeggios. As with all the pieces in this opus, technique is just one aspect. The other one is to evoke the flight pattern of the swallow. (I actually have a video to show the students what a swallow looks like when fhlying. You would be amazed how little students know of these things).

No. 25 - La Chevaleresque (The Horse Riding of A Titled Lady) in C major

As the last piece in the collection, it reviews everything the student has learned so far.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

I'm sorry if this is slightly off subject, but a while back i asked about burgmueller's op. 109 #13 (Orage) and i never received a single answer. i would appraciate any help on how to play it. i can't get it JUST right!

I have not seen your original post.

What seems to be the problem?

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mark1]

:)Thank you for your time... I mean it! Have a wonderful day.                                                                  Mark

[Sekoul]

im really not sure how to play this piece! i know its supposed to sound thunderous but i cant slam on the piano the whole way throught because a storm is silent at times right before the strike. also i have no idea when to use the pedal. it gives a nice feeling but the notes are so unclear when i use it.

do you have any advice on the expression and pedal throughout the song? also i know its strange but im not sure whether to do staccato or not for the last chord in the song... i feel more comfortable doing staccato but in all the scores it says to just do a half note.

[bernhard]

This piece represents a storm. And you are just in the thick of it. So there are really no silences. You must imagine swishing winds, thunder and water pouring down in sheets, not only vertically, but horizontally as well (because of the wind). Actually, do not think storm, think typhoon.

Nevertheless this does not mean that the piece should have one dynamic level throughout. Indeed the ebb and flow of the storm should be represented by the volume going up and down.

So:

First part:

Bar 1 – 2 – Start pp and give a crescendo climaxing on the LH C octave on bar 2. No pedal on bar1, syncopated pedal on bar 2 with pedal points on the two LH notes.

Bar 3 – 4 exaclty the same pattern: start pp and climax on the 3rd  beat of bar 4. Pedal only on bar 4, with pedal points on the 2nd and 4th beat.

Bar 5 – 6 – Exactly the same as before.

Bars 7 – 8 – No pedal at all. Start a crescendo from pp and for the first time reach f  on the first beat of bar 8, from there decrease to a pp for the repeat. Second time around, don’t decrease so much and start the second part on f.

Second part:

Bars 10 – 13 – Sustain the dynamics at f throughout these four bars. Pedal on bar 10 on the first beat, release on the second, pedal again on the third beat and release on the fourth (so that the semiquaver groups are not pedalled). No pedal on bar 11 or 12. On bar 13 pedal on the first beat and release on the third beat.

Bar 14 – 15 – Start ff (this is the climax of the storm and of the piece). Pedal on the first note (LH), release on the second quaver (LH), then pedal again on the dotted crochet but release on the fourth beat (half a beat before the quaver). Do a sforzato on the arpeggiated chord (RH) on the first beat of bar 15, pedal at the chord and release before starting the semiquaver run. Start the semiquavers at ff and decrease to p.

Bar 16 – 17 – No pedal at all. Start p and increase to an sforzato in the third beat of bar 16 (arpeggiated diminished 7 E chord on RH). Decrease as you approach bar 17, then crescendo and rit.

Third part:

Bar 18 – 19 – Start p, and increase to a sforzato halfway through the third beat of bar 19, then decrease to p as you approach the next bar. No pedal on bar 18, pedal bar 19 throughout, releasing at the end of the bar.

Bar 20 – 21 – Start p on bar 20 and increase to a sforzato on the second beat of bar 21, then decrease and slow down (rit.). Pedal throughout bar 20, releasing at the end of the bar. Pedal again on first beat of bar 21 and release on the third beat.

Coda:

Bar 22 – 23 – No pedal. Start p. Accent and hold the minim chords of the LH. Slow the tempo down: the storm is dying away.

Bar 24 – 25 – Sforzato the first beat and decrease towards the end of bar 24. ON bar 25 start to increase again and reach a sforzato on the third beat (second chord on RH) and decreas again. Pedal on the third beat of bar 24, release on the 4th beat; pedal again on the first beat of bar 25 release on the third beat. Finally pedal on the third beat and release at the end of the bar.

Bar 24 – As is common with storms, before they end there is usually a last outburst of wind and rain. That is it. Play this bar f and without pedal (“espressivo”).

Bar 25 – 29 (end) – No pedal. Start p, slow it a bit from the second beat onwards (rit.). Increase the volume to get a sforzato on the first beat of bar 26 and then decrease again. Start bar 26 right on time (“a tempo”) with a sforzato on the RH chord. As you move towards the end slow down and decrease volume so that you play bar 28 p and the last bar pp. My score also does not have staccato on the last chord – in fact directions are to hold it for two beats (minim). But if you like it staccato, I doubt Burgmuller is going to turn too much in his grave.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Sekoul]

omG there should be more good people in the world like you! thank you sooo much!

[ratihmaharani]

just read this toic.
i just know what you told, and realy help! thanks