Frédéric Chopin

The twenty-four Études of Frédéric Chopin (divided into two separate opuses, 10 and 25, but actually composed almost simultaneously) remain the most significant entries in that particular musical genre. Chopin refers, in a letter dating from the fall of 1829, to having written a study "in own manner," and indeed, a great chasm stands between his achievements and the far drier études of his predecessors (one thinks of Moscheles, Czerny, and Hummel in particular). It was not Chopin's intent, as it was with many nineteenth-century pianist-composers, to create studies of mere technique and raw dexterity; here, instead, are works with an inexhaustible array of textures, moods, and colors to explore. These are works meant for the concert hall as well as for the practice room. The twelve Études published as Chopin's Opus 10 are an indispensable tool of the modern pianist's craft: they are a rite of passage that no serious pianist can ignore. The A minor Étude op.10, No.2 is also rather severe in tone. Chromatic passagework is executed by the third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the right hand, while the remaining thumb and forefinger are asked to join in the chordal accompaniment. Many have seen a resemblance to Ignaz Moscheles' Étude Op.70, No.3 in this difficult work; it is quite possible that Chopin's familiarity with the elder composer's manner spilled over into his own work. The harmonically "wandering" character of the A minor Étude, however, looks more forward (to some of his own later études, which incorporate similar means, but to a much more ethereal end) than backward.