Is an etude an exercise or a work?

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

An etude is a simple musical form, which most often has a small volume. Such a work contains certain techniques that allow you to improve the technique of playing any instrument. There may be only one such technique, but it happens that several different techniques are intertwined in one work. Thus, we can say that an etude is an exercise that allows you to warm up before performing works of a larger form. Etudes are also taught in order to improve your playing technique.

Short story

Perhaps there is no such musician in the world who would not play at least one etude. These complete and often very beautiful pieces are performed on violins, cellos, guitars and flutes. But most often in music there are etudes for the pianoforte. After all, this instrument requires the most technique from the musician. In the 19th century, it was for the piano that the famous German composer Karl Czerny wrote about a thousand pieces that promote the development of fingers and playing technique. In his first collections, each work is a simple andunpretentious sketch. These are warm-ups based on arpeggios to be played first with one hand and then with both at the same time. He also wrote many works of small form, based on scales, chromatic harmonies and other modes.

Kings of studies

More complex works by Czerny are the so-called "schools". Among these, one can single out the School of Fluency of Fingers or the School of Fugue. Such pieces, as it were, prepare the pianist for further performances of large-scale works. This once again emphasizes that the etude is a technical exercise that simply needs to be learned, memorized, in order to then perfectly and with feeling play one of the masterpiece of classical works.

From exercise to big form

The word "etude" has a completely different meaning after Frederic Chopin passed such a musical form through the prism of his work. His allegedly educational plays have become real large-scale works that have a certain emotional coloring, mood, a large gradation of shades, and even several parts. One of the most famous pieces of this form is the Etude in C major. It immediately feels the influence of the style of J. S. Bach - broken arpeggios, rigor and consistency in performance. It is worth noting that this unity of style can be traced in all the works that Chopin created.

Etudes from the essay op. 10 have a bright, one might even say "volcanic" character. In those years, the composer was struck by the defeatPolish uprising, therefore, these warlike motives appeared in his work. The 12th study was called "Revolutionary", and it was followed by "Winter Whirlwind" (op. 25 No. 11). In the work of this writer there are many more etudes that are performed as suites, sonatas, romantic plays. They can be heard at various concerts - at the Philharmonic and just at a music school.

Conclusion

Etudes have been written by various musical creators since the 18th century. This genre has become familiar to composers around the world since many children have had the opportunity to learn musical notation.