UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD

Studies in Piano Repertoire

Prof. Dr. Paul Rutmman

STUDENT: Igor Ferreira

A small comparison between some of F.Chopin’s and J.Crammer’s Etudes

The polish composer Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) was certainly one of the most emblematic

figures of Music History. His works, mostly composed for the piano, reveal a myriad of idioms

and a gigantic emotional range combine with fine compositional, structural and harmonic

innovations. To access this repertoire, and those of many to come, one must understand the

technical intricacies that are there in his output, in order to truly achieve the final goal of

expressing the great music the composer has written.

One of the main repertoires in piano literature, without a shadow of a doubt, are his Études

op.10 and op.25, that are alongside Beethoven’s Sonatas and Bach’s Well-Tempered

Harpsichords. Yet, playing them are one of the most challenging features for even the greatest

pianist. Chopin himself would only assign them to his most talented students. He also seemed

to even not be satisfied with his own playing of those:

“I would love f to acquire from him the manner in which he plays my

etudes”, says Chopin about Liszt in a letter to Auguste Franchomme.

The Études are basically small pieces that focus on some aspects of piano technique (at first),

and Chopin’s etudes really focus on repeating some patterns throughout the whole étude. They

are normally in ternary form, and go through different keys. The main difference to the Etudes

that came before, are the astonishingly beautiful musical interest that is surely lacking in the

others. It is interesting to see that those pieces have been also been a standard repertoire of

many recitals, a fact that attests their true beauty. But what makes them so special? Were the

etudes that came before not as good? That is some of the questions this paper will try to

answer by comparing Chopin’s Etudes with the collection of 60 Selected Etudes by Johann

Baptist Crammer (1771-1858), which was a great pianist, composer and music German of

German origin.

Firstly, let us take a look at some Etudes involving the double-thirds technique, which is also

demanding and challenging to play. When one analyzes the collection Etudes by Crammer

(1771-1858), one can see some of them are dedicated to thirds, but, they all focus in different

aspects of the technique. For example, No.46 in f-sharp minor, he addresses the double thirds

done with 2-4 and 3-5. They are repeated almost in the same hand position, while the left has a

prominent melody. His Etude No.48 in C minor has the same harmonic configuration of the

Prelude in C minor BWV from the 1st Book of the Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach. The thirds

here are played amongst some octaves, but slowly changing the position of the hand. In his

Etude No.33 in C major, he asks for the pianist to move much more with his hand position, but

with a “rocking-motion” instead of scalarly. He also switches the playing of the double thirds

between both hands.

Chopin’s Etude in thirds basically combines almost all of the above, and increases the

difficulties by adding much more flow to the positions. Firstly, he plays with the major or minor

thirds, and already applies many passages of chromatic double-thirds scale. He switches to a

beginning double-thirds trill, which already asks for the in-place hand positioning practice, and

right after asks for the scale. The scales go up and down, chromatically or diatonically, then

have instances of white-keys only, have alternating patterns of the double thirds, like a pattern

using 4-5 and 2-1 repeatedly going down in a sequence. Also, there are moments where both

hands play double thirds ate the same time, which has not appeared in those Crammer Etudes

and present an incredible challenge as well. However, Chopin accomplishes all of that creating

the most exotically beautiful harmonic progressions, an almost exotic and beautiful melodies in

the left hand, and a beautiful coda that dissolves in the end with a Picardy-third harmony,

almost as a big relief after so much finger distress. In the end, we have a study dedicated only

to thirds that have mostly all of the double-thirds technique in there, but done in a really

expressive manner, with a formal scheme much more developed, with a harmonic change that

could be present in any of his compositions.

Let us compare the Etudes that uses sixths, for example. When one analyzes Crammer’s etude

No.44 in B-flat minor, he creates an actual beautiful melody accompanied by sixths on the right

hand, that sings almost throughout the whole piece. Etude No. 47 in F-sharp minor has ln his B

section the use of repeated sixths in the same position, as an accompaniment to a melody, also

on the right hand. Etude No.29 has alternating patterns, with sixths and fourths, almost always
inside the same chord position. Also, a clear melody is sometimes perceived but they almost

stay in the same harmonies for a long period of time, as if to try to reinforce repetition.

Chopin’s Etude op.25 No.8 in D-flat Major also looks like a combination of almost all the above,

but with increasing difficulties. The right-hand plays double-sixths throughout the entire piece,

startin static in the beginning but soon dealing with scalar movements, both diatonically and

chromatically. Also, right in the beginning, he deals with the accentuation differences in exact

same-note patterns. The stronger beats fall on fingers 1-4 in the first semi-phrase in the

beginning, and, in the second half, they fall on fingers 2-5. That forces the pianist to practice

different rhythm patterns and, in the end, it helps strengthen all of the fingers in such

challenging position. But another thing that this Etude carries, is the left hand playing of many

patterns involving many sorts of double note patterns. The beginning arpeggiations being made

with sequences of sixth, fifths and fourths. Also, in the middle section, a figuration that contains

octaves and sevenths played with interlayer of seconds and (resembles a combination of the

patterns seen in Etude No.47 and No.48 by Crammer), are really hard to grasp. Similar technical

problems appears also in the third movement of Beethoven’s sonata op.57 in F minor

(“Apassionata”), and challenges many pianists up to date. Some specialists argue that this is

one of Chopin’s hardest etudes, and yet, it has to be played gracefully and with spirit. Chopin

made this a short piece, but is infused with delicate and interesting harmonies, changes in

accentuation and rhythms that give a freshness to the repetition of patterns, and a
Let us compare some studies that some interesting left-hand figuration. For example, when one

takes Etude No.8 in F minor in consideration, here Crammer uses the left hand in different

melodic traces, like arpeggios, scales, written trills and a figuration that goes downward in

sequence. We do have some intricate patterns, but they all stay in the same harmonies close to

f minor. Etude No.20 in D major has broken arpeggios that go up a down the left hand always in

the same disposition, changing one harmony per bar in its majority. Not much of a melodic

interest can be found here in this one. The Etude No.22 in G major also figures some interesting

patterns in the left hand, that are different throughout and have some descending sequences

that create a rhythmical uneasiness that helps develop the left hand.

When we then analyze Chopin’s Etude op.10 No.12 in C minor, the so called “Revolutionary

Etude”, we can see how the left hand here is incessantly drawing the most beautiful and

intricate patterns, with one of the most dauntingly almost bravado melody. It goes from

downward intimidating sequencings in the beginning, until it dissolves in the famous

arpeggiation that goes up and down. On the middle section, it develops in to intricate patterns

that are much more harmonically dense and almost dissonant, until it returns to the triumphant

c minor. Those figurations sometimes are doubles by the right hand, like in the beginning, , in

the beginning figuration, which requires the pianist to be precise and choose fingerings that do

note let any lack of legato be shown. The harmonies in this Etude are always moving forwards

almost giving a sense of restlessness. Chopin rights Allegro ‘con fuoco’, and he really delivers

the fire and audacity in this piece.

Lastly, let us compare quickly the studies that require arpeggiation of both hands. Crammers

Etude No.19 in D minor deals with broken arpeggios on the right hand going up and down the

keyboards, whereas No.20 in D Major it is almost his twin for the left hand, as said before. They

have harmonies that change, in the majority of times, once per bar. The harmonic progressions

here are simple, and the studies are in a short ternary form. Also, Etudes No. 37 and No.38 also

deal broken chords, but they go up and down the keyboard with broken arpeggios, but in a

slow pace, almost making the patterns of the sequence within distances of a third and a fourth

above. Again, the harmonic progressions are simples and those etudes are short and simple in

its form.

Chopin’s etudes that deal with similar problems of going incessantly up and down the keyboard

in arpeggios and broad figurations are Etudes op.10 No.1 and No.8, and lastly, Etude op.25

No.12. These three etudes have broadened the difficulties of this kind of patterns to a level

never seen before, with the most beautiful progressions. Op.10 No.1, with its opened arpeggios

that require an immense flexibility of both hands, the strengthening of fingers 4 and 5, and a

precise wrist and arm flexibility, have harmonic progressions that are unseen before, bringing

chordal possibilities that are modern and fresh. And the brilliance effect achieved maybe only

paralleled by Etude No.8 in F Major. This Etudes deals with patterns and sequences that are a

mix of diatonic and arpeggios, that goes up and down incessantly. Also, the harmonic

progressions are interesting, especially in the middle section, where it leads to return of the A

section. This Etude has patterns in both hands in many times, and it has some figurations that
can be seen in Crammer Etude No.6 in E minor, No.4 in A major, and No.35 in E minor. Lastly,

the last Etude op.25 No.12 deals with the coming up and down the keyboard in a broad

arpeggiation figure, bot with both hands at the same time, in similar motion, from beginning to

end. The melodies are constructed with the initial notes of each bar, except in the ending of the

phrases. It is a piece that requires stamina and clever hand placement and wrist flexibility. Also,

a sense of harmonic progressions is required, to make the piece have enough direction.

One can understand that crammer Etudes do attempt to address many technical difficulties,

and they do try to create beauty and interest. Many of the keys used are exotic, as well as some

harmonies. He tries to accomplish the technical difficulties with shorter pieces that with a more

divided technique approach in general. Unfortunately, some of his pieces are not as successful

in the artistic side as Chopin. It is perceptible that even though Chopin’s etudes really focus on

different aspects of a technical problem, they are diverse enough in terms of harmonies,

melodies, formal structure, that they firstly, create an important desire to play and finish the

piece, and secondly, they require many micro-movement differences that helps the hand not

stay stiff, but, on the contrary, develop more flexibility and adaptability to the different

geographies of the piano playing. That is a really wise decision, that can even prevent injuries

on the ones who study those pieces.