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25 Easy and Progressive Etudes (Op. 100)
Walkthroughs
Burgmüller’s 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100 have been a mainstay of elementary étude repertoire for many generations - and deservedly so. I cannot imagine any young pianist or elementary player who would not immediately engage with, or benefit from learning them. This series of videos provides walkthroughs of all 25 of these études.
Contents
1. La Candeur (Openness) in C major
2. L’Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor
3. La Pastorale (Pastoral) in G major
4. La Petite Réunion (The Little Party) in C major
6. Progrès (Progress) in C Major
7. Le Courant Limpide (The Clear Little Stream) in G Major
8. La Gracieuse (Gracefully) in F Major
9. La Chasse (Hunting Song) in C Major
10. Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower) in D Major
11. La Bergeronnette (The Wagtail) in C Major
12. L'Adieu (Farewell) in A Minor
14. La Styrienne (Styrian Dance) in G Major
16. Douce Plainte (Tender Appeal) in G Minor
17. La Babillarde (The Chatterbox) in F Major
18. Inquiétude (Restlessness) in E Minor
21. L’Harmonie des Anges (The Music of the Angels) in G Major
Author
Graham Fitch
Graham Fitch, based in London, maintains an international career not only as a pianist, but also as a teacher, adjudicator, examiner, lecturer, writer and commentator on piano playing and musical subjects.
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<h3> <a href="/content/pages/186-intermezzo-in-e-major-op-116-no-6?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Walkthrough</a></h3>Brahms’ late piano pieces are among his most personal and intimate music. This bittersweet, nostalgic Intermezzo is from the set of Fantasies, Op. 116, completed in 1892. Within the progression of harmonies in the outer sections we discover interweaving melodic lines; imagine a dialogue between a violin and a viola... Read >>
The Merry Farmer
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/24-the-merry-farmer?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 4 – B2</a></h3>Schumann’s piano music is a joy to play – it is full of inspiration, fantastic contrasts in mood and character as well as beautiful melodies and breathtakingly beautiful harmonies. This series of articles provides notes outlining how to approach learning The Merry Farmer, Returning from Work from the Album for... Read >>
Waltz in A minor
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/106-waltz-in-a-minor?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 4</a></h3>Grieg’s Waltz in A minor is full of character and contrasts, and not without its challenges - especially concerning how to use the pedal. In this video I show how to organise the pedalling in order to make some of the joins possible without covering over Grieg’s slurs and staccato... Read >>
Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major (BWV 825)
This set of resources provides walkthroughs for movements from Bach's Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major (BWV 825) featured in the ABRSM examination syllabus. Menuets I and II (ABRSM Grade 6) make a beautiful contrasting pair of dances whereas the Gigue (ABRSM Grade 7) is unusual among Bach’s Gigues -... Read >>
Knight Rupert (Album for the Young No. 12)
Knight Rupert, No. 12 from Schumann’s Album for the Young, Op. 68, is a favourite recital piece for the intermediate player, and great fun to play. The rousing A section contrasts beautifully with the more lyrical B section. This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and other... Read >>
Allegro (from Fantasia no. 1 in D major)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/108-allegro-from-fantasia-no-1-in-d-major?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 6</a></h3>Georg Philipp Telemann's Fantasia in D major, on Trinity’s Grade 6 alternative syllabus, is a worthy piece and a lot of fun to play. This video shows some of the principles involved in making decisions regarding dynamics, articulation, touch and expression and looks at several options for interpretation based on... Read >>
Jacques Ibert - Little White Donkey
Le petit âne blanc (The Little White Donkey) is the second piece from Jacquest Ibert’s set of ten pieces entitled Histoires and requires plenty of imagination to play it with the necessary colour and vibrancy. This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and other practice tools to... Read >>
Two Short Pieces
This series features two popular short pieces by William Alwyn, The Sun is Setting and The Sea is Angry which are both ideal for the intermediate level.... Read >>
Minuet in D major, K. 355
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/109-minuet-in-d-major-k-355?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 7</a></h3>Mozart’s Minuet in D, K. 355 features chromaticism that is surprising even to our ears (imagine what it must have sounded like to the listener of the day!). The piece is conceived as an ensemble piece for string trio, and we need to have this sound in our ear as... Read >>
Diabelli - Moderato Cantabile (from Sonatina in F major, Op. 168 No. 1)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/98-diabelli-moderato-cantabile-from-sonatina-in-f-major-op-168-no-1?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 5 (Alternative)</a></h3>The first movement (Moderato) of Diabelli’s appealing Sonatina in F is a model of sonata form in miniature, an ideal way to teach form and structure to the intermediate pianist. In this video I demonstrate the art of finger pedalling in the left hand alberti patterns and show how to... Read >>
Prelude in C-sharp Minor
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/62-prelude-in-c-sharp-minor?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">(Op. 3 No. 2)</a></h3>A series of three videos exploring Rachmaninov’s famous Prelude in C-sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2) at the piano, with extensive practice tips to solve the technical issues, pedalling suggestions and thoughts on performance – including how to achieve a big sound effortlessly without banging or harshness.... Read >>
Intermezzo in B minor (Op. 119 No. 1)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/101-intermezzo-in-b-minor-op-119-no-1?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 8</a></h3>In 1893, Brahms wrote his last work for the piano, a set of four piano pieces, op. 119. The Intermezzo in B minor is the first piece of the set. As a composition it is full of riches, arousing keen interest in composers and scholars (including Arnold Schoenberg) as they... Read >>
Little Prelude in F
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/45-little-prelude-in-f-?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">BWV 927 (From the Notebook for Wilhelm Friedmann Bach)</a></h3>Bach’s lovely Little Prelude in F is a harmonic prelude, essentially an elaborated chord progression. In this article, the basic harmonic skeleton of the piece is gradually fleshed out, allowing students to understand its simple underlying structure, and to work systematically on its various layers.... Read >>
Schubert - Impromptu in G-Flat Major (Op. 90 No. 3)
Schubert’s Impromptu in G-flat major is part of the first set of impromptus composed shortly before his death in 1828. The piece showcases Schubert's mastery of maintaining a single texture throughout, with a lyrical melody in the upper voice, rippling triplet figures in the middle and a supportive bassline. In... Read >>
Fantasy in D Minor K397
This video provides a section by section waltkthrough of Mozart's Fantasy in D Minor K397 (sometimes referred to as Fantasia).... Read >>
Lyric Pieces
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/2-lyric-pieces?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">(Op. 54)</a></h3>Grieg wrote his famous Nocturne (Night Piece) in the summer of 1891 during his annual country retreat to the Norwegian mountains and fjords. Along with five other pieces, he included the Nocturne in Book V of his Lyric Pieces, Op. 54.... Read >>
Prelude in B Minor (Op. 28 No. 6)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/113-prelude-in-b-minor-op-28-no-6?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 6 - B2</a></h3>Chopin’s dark, somber Prélude in B minor is much more difficult to play than it looks. This video demonstrates how to approach this piece technically and musically with particular attention to the pedalling which requires a lot of thought... Read >>
Tarantella (No. 4 from Musiques d’enfants, Op. 65)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/159-tarantella-no-4-from-musiques-denfants-op-65-?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 5 – C3</a></h3>Prokoviev’s Music for Children was composed in 1935 and contains 12 pieces with descriptive titles. The Tarantella is one of the best examples of this type of dance piece, featuring spinning patterns in both hands and plenty of quirky harmonic and rhythmic features that make Prokoviev’s style so engaging.... Read >>
Prelude in C minor (BWV 999)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/158-prelude-in-c-minor-bwv-999?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">ABRSM Grade 4 – A1</a></h3>Built from a harmonic progression and originally written for lute we can recreate some of the resonance of that instrument either by short touches of pedal, or by overholding some notes of the broken chords.... Read >>
Invention in D Minor No. 4 (BWV 775)
Bach's Inventions (in two parts) and the Sinfonias (in three parts) were written for the Bach’s eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann and are played throughout the world by intermediate players and concert artists alike. This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and other practice tools to approach two... Read >>
Für Elise
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/140-fr-elise?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">(Bagatelle No. 25 in A Minor)</a></h3>This evergreen miniature of Beethoven scarcely needs any introduction at all, since Für Elise is known to the world at large. What beginning piano student does not itch to play it, pestering their teacher long before they are ready? This video walkthrough and article shows how to use quarantining and... Read >>
Elgar - Andantino (First movement from Sonatina)
<h3> <a href="/content/pages/118-elgar-andantino-first-movement-from-sonatina?bundle_url=online-academy&last_viewed=true">Trinity College - Grade 4</a></h3>Here we find the first movement of a two-movement sonatina that Elgar wrote for his niece. It is song-like and gently expressive, calling for sensitivity in shaping phrases and timing larger melodic intervals. The Andantino demands careful listening in the balancing of the hands, the accompanying left hand, while quieter,... Read >>