Etude Op. 25 No.

1 in
A-flat Major

WORKBOOK

Your Instructor: Norman Krieger

tonebase Piano
Introduction WATCH LESSON

A masterpiece of texture and lyricism, Chopin's so-called "Aeolian Harp" Etude Op. 25 No. 1 is an

approachable study in opposites: how to play lightly with the strong part of the hand, and boldly

with the weak part of the hand. Join the Chair of the Piano Department at Indiana University,

Norman Krieger, as he explores what he calls a "gift to the wrist." Focusing always on beauty and

nuance of tone, Krieger identifies and analyzes the mechanical demands of the piece while offering

creative practice techniques for making the physical act of playing subservient to the music.

Norman Krieger

A native of Los Angeles, Norman Krieger is highly regarded as an artist of depth,

sensitivity, and virtuosic flair. He regularly appears with the major orchestras of

North America and tours worldwide. Krieger became a full-scholarship student of

Adele Marcus at the Juilliard School at age 15, where he earned his Bachelor and

Master degrees, going on to earn an Artist Diploma from the New England

Conservatory. Krieger is the founding artistic director of The Prince Albert Music

Festival in Hawaii, and currently teaches at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana

University.

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annotated score, please send them to ethan@tonebase.co. We strive

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Overview

The piano looks like a harp on the inside, but we play it vertically, typically without accessing this
dimension of motion. This etude teaches us to have a malleable wrist and achieve a more versatile
side-to-side rotation. It also strengthens our fourth and fifth fingers while lightening up the others.

A♭ is a friendly key to pianists because of the physiology of the hand (2 black notes in each group
of black keys). As we practice, remember that the melody is always at the forefront of our mind, as
is creating a singing tone that will project. Practice with each hand alone to establish the
appropriate rotation. Pianists like Rachmaninoff, Hoffman, and Lhévinne often held their left wrists
higher than their right wrists. This makes playing softly in the left hand a bit easier.

The score is very clear about dynamics and rubato, so do your best to follow the indications. Think
of the ten fingers as ten singers that must each be sensitive to and in balance with one another.

Work on arpeggios in the key of A♭ with both hands. Practice slowly, and in chunks. Krieger applies
solfege to virtually everything. Practice the music that comes before a difficult passage to get into
it easily. Go through the difficult moment and then come out of it. Tactile memory alone isn’t very
dependable; use knowledge of harmony, sound, and emotion to aid memory.

03
 Annotations from Norman

Krieger’s tonebase lesson

“sustained” melody and bass line indicated by larger noteheads

lighten up the inner, smaller notes

not perfectly legato,

circular and side-to-side rotations
we must have mobility fifth finger must emulate the human voice
with wrist that lean toward the melody

approach melodic notes by drawing hand outward

draw inward to play softly

always pay attenttion to the phrase markings
 an opportunity to bring out an inner voice

double rotation (see Krieger’s

lesson on Wrist movement)

4 against 6 polyrhythm

don’t overplay the low F

extract bars 22-23 as an exercise,

practice as blocked chords and in various
rhythms with subtle speed differentials
 practice remaining
relaxed and breathing

singing out loud while practicing will always

guide the phrasing; the musical intention is king

keep the shoulders open and distribute the

weight in the hands intelligently

“draw the sound towards you”

 keep the phrase going past this high note!

“These etudes are not just exercises, they’re

works of art. They’re meant to explore what the
piano is capable of.”