The Art of the Piano Étude
The piano study or ‘Étude’ has long engaged and challenged pianists, and the practice of writing Études to provide practice material for perfecting a particular pianistic technique, such as playing octaves or rapid scalic passages, developed in the early 19th century alongside the growing popularity of the piano. Playlist curated by Frances Wilson.
Read more…- Chopin • Études op. 10 • 1. Étude in C major. Allegro in C majorÉtudes op. 10
1. Étude in C major. Allegro in C majorMartha Argerich (Piano)1965, Warsaw - Chopin • Études op. 25 • 7. Étude in C sharp minor. LentoÉtudes op. 25
7. Étude in C sharp minor. LentoEugene Mursky (Piano)January 2007, Stuttgart, SWR (South West German Radio) Grosses Studio - Chopin • Études op. 10 • 9. Étude in F minor. Allegro molto agitatoÉtudes op. 10
9. Étude in F minor. Allegro molto agitatoEugene Mursky (Piano)January 2007, Stuttgart, SWR (South West German Radio) Grosses Studio - Schumann • Études symphoniques (Symphonic Etudes) in C sharp minor op. 13 • Supplement • Variation IV (posth.)Études symphoniques (Symphonic Etudes) in C sharp minor op. 13
Supplement • Variation IV (posth.)Freddy Kempf (Piano)2012, Saxmundham, Potton Hall - Liszt • Grandes études de Paganini for Piano S 141 • Etude No. 3 in G sharp minor (Allegretto) "La Campanella"Grandes études de Paganini for Piano S 141
Etude No. 3 in G sharp minor (Allegretto) "La Campanella"Tzimon Barto (Piano)September 2009, Valthermond - Liszt • Études de concert S 144 • Étude No. 2 in F minor (La leggierezza)Études de concert S 144
Étude No. 2 in F minor (La leggierezza)Martha Argerich (Piano)1966, Munich - Liszt • Études d'exécution transcendante S 139 • Etude No. 12 in B flat minor "Chasse-neige"Études d'exécution transcendante S 139
Etude No. 12 in B flat minor "Chasse-neige"Lazar Berman (Piano)1950 - 1956 - Liszt • Études de concert S 144 • Étude No. 3 in D flat major (Un sospiro)Études de concert S 144
Étude No. 3 in D flat major (Un sospiro)Antonín Kubálek (Piano)℗ 1996 - Liszt • Études d'exécution transcendante S 139 • Etude No. 11 in D flat major "Harmonies du soir"Études d'exécution transcendante S 139
Etude No. 11 in D flat major "Harmonies du soir"Yevgeny Sudbin (Piano)2010, Bristol, St Georges - Scriabin • Douze Études op. 8 • 7. Étude in B flat minor (Presto tenebroso, agitato)Douze Études op. 8
7. Étude in B flat minor (Presto tenebroso, agitato)Alexander Paley (Piano)1994, Santa Rosa, Fisher Hall - Rachmaninoff • Études-tableaux for Piano op. 33 • Étude No. 2 in C major (Allegro)
- Rachmaninoff • Études-tableaux for Piano op. 33 • Étude No. 6 in E flat major (Allegro con fuoco)Études-tableaux for Piano op. 33
Étude No. 6 in E flat major (Allegro con fuoco)Xiayin Wang (Piano)2011 - 2012, New York, American Academy of Arts and Letters - Rachmaninoff • Études-tableaux op. 39 • Étude-tableau No. 6 in A minor (Allegro)Études-tableaux op. 39
Étude-tableau No. 6 in A minor (Allegro)Freddy Kempf (Piano)August 1999, Stockholm, Nybrokajen 11 - Smetana • Study (in Song Form) for Piano in A minor JB 3:18/2
- Debussy • Études for Piano L 143 (136) • 8. Pour les agréments. Lento, rubato e leggieroÉtudes for Piano L 143 (136)
8. Pour les agréments. Lento, rubato e leggieroJean-Efflam Bavouzet (Piano)2008, Dunwich, Potton Hall - Debussy • Études for Piano L 143 (136) • 1. Pour les cinq doigts (d'après Monsieur Czerny). SagementÉtudes for Piano L 143 (136)
1. Pour les cinq doigts (d'après Monsieur Czerny). SagementJean-Efflam Bavouzet (Piano)2008, Dunwich, Potton Hall - Gould • Boogie Woogie Etude (1943) • Fast driving tempo - Steely and hard throughoutBoogie Woogie Etude (1943)
Fast driving tempo - Steely and hard throughoutShura Cherkassky (Piano)1955, Berlin, Jesus-Christus-Kirche
Those of us who had piano lessons as children will remember working on studies by the likes of Clementi and Czerny (Debussy mocks Czerny’s piano exercises in the first of his Études), and pianists today still swear by these and other exercises by Hanon, Brahms and Dohnanyi.
Frédéric Chopin elevated the student study into a work of great artistry and beauty, turning humble exercises into glittering concert pieces, and his Opp. 10 and 25 Études remain amongst the most popular works written for piano, regularly recorded and performed in concert. Other notable composers of piano Études include Liszt, Alkan, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Godowsky and Debussy, and the practice of writing piano etudes has continued into the modern era with composers such as Gyorgy Ligeti, John Cage, Morton Gould and Nikolai Kapustin.
Études not only test fleetness of fingers and some of the most memorable in the repertoire are moody, haunting works where the pianist’s ability to create a beautiful singing line of melody is uppermost, as in Chopin’s Op 25 No. 7.