BURGM�LLER 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

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.

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 � (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.