Burgmuller

Burgmüller - 13. Consolation in C Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The thirteenth étude, Consolation (Comfort), returns to the familiar key of C major. Marked dolce lusingando (sweetly and caressingly), it calls for careful control of tone as we balance melody and accompaniment not only between the two hands, but also within each hand. There are many beautiful, expressive moments in this etude that we need to enjoy and savour as we play them. The harmonic progression in bars 5 and 6 that enhances chord ii in what would otherwise be a standard sequence of chords is one example, the modulation to E minor (bars 14-15) another. The semibreves in the... Read >>

Burgmüller - 11. La Bergeronnette (The Wagtail) in C Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

La Bergeronnette (The Wagtail) depicts a genus of bird that constantly moves its tail; Burgmüller captures this flickering, fluttering movement by the prevailing rhythmic figure we hear right at the start – two semiquavers and a quaver under a slur. It is important that the first note of the slurred group is lightly stressed, and the last note released without an accent. Make sure to retain this strong-weak emphasis even in the crescendos (from bar 19, and from bar 26), where each three-note group is stronger than the previous one. The leggiero marking invites us to use a light touch... Read >>

Burgmüller - Berceuse (No. 7 from 18 Characteristic Studies, Op. 109)

Burgmüller’s educational piano music is still among the very best. This exquisite little Berceuse requires considerable control of tone, texture and pedalling to bring out its beauties. Resources & links Click here to purchase sheet music form the Trinity College online store (external link). Click here to view open domain editions for these works (external link, see page 12). Click here to view the index for our Guide to the Trinity College Piano Syllabus. ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 5. Innocence in F Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The tempo is moderate (crotchet = c.100) and the mood graceful. The short RH slurs imply a very slight stress on the first note of each group. A very delicate touch is called for here, the finger tips active and the wrist flexible. This supplementary exercise helps develop the touch. This tapping exercise is useful to secure the hand positions for the progression of chords. Keep fingers close to the keys, and make sure the wrist stays free at all times. Play the expressive sighs in the RH using a... Read >>

Burgmüller - Velocity, Op. 109 No. 10

ABRSM Grade 6 – A6

Velocity is the tenth piece in a collection of small character studies by Friedrich Burgmüller (1806-1874). In the tradition of the very best studies, each piece presents a technical problem to be overcome and practised, while at the same time having a distinct musical appeal that raises it to the status of art. In Velocity, the main challenge is control of right hand semiquavers at high speed as the patterns move across the keyboard, even crossing over the accompanimental left hand’s repeated chords in two places. The player can develop the necessary leggiero touch by practising the semiquavers at first... Read >>

Burgmüller - 3. La Pastorale (Pastoral) in G major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Feel two beats in a bar (‘1-and-a 2-and-a’). For the dolce cantabile singing line play beautifully legato, keeping the fingers close to the keys and the wrist flexible. Sing the melody line out loud to find the phrasing; in keeping with the descriptive title we might even imagine a shepherd playing a flute. Aim for a tonal balance of mp in the RH and pp in the LH accompaniment. The LH stays very close to the keys in the repeated chords to avoid any clatter. No pedal is necessary, but if you want a warmer sound you could... Read >>

J. F. F. Burgmüller - Tarantella (No. 20 from 25 études faciles et progressives, Op. 100)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A1

Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for individual purchase as a digital download here or in print as part of the Piano Exam Pieces 2025 & 2026 Grade 5 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade on Spotify using this link. ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 10. Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower) in D Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The presence of a descriptive title inspires the imagination before we even play a note, and Tendre Fleur (Tender Flower) is all about pastel colours, sensitivity of touch and mood, and delicate expression. Marked p delicato, we discover two-note sighing slurs in arpeggio patterns that rise then fall, meandering quaver lines and sparse harmonies. The harmonic language is extremely simple – tonic and dominant harmonies alternate with each other in the home key of D (A section) and then in the dominant key of A (B section). A standard chord progression from bar 13 – 15 breaks the pattern and... Read >>

Burgmüller - 2. L’Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Keep the LH chords close to the keyboard, the fingertips firm and somewhat active, the wrist loose but relatively still. When practising the LH separately, the following patterns will help to learn the hand shapes: Play RH semiquaver patterns lightly using a drop-roll (down-up) movement generated from the arm. Small lateral adjustments in the wrist keep us free and loose by assisting finger articulation. The first note of each RH group is the strongest, the last note lighter and short. You might practise chaining the drop-roll slurs thus (RH alone): ... Read >>