Étude Op.25 No.1 (Chopin)
Movements
Notes
The shimmering study is the first in a set of 12, composed in 1836. It consists of entirely rapid arpeggios and harmonic modulations in and around Ab major. While the left hand accompanies, the right hand exhibits a tuneful melody hidden within sextuplets and occasional countermelodies in the inner parts. The challenge of this piece is to play accompanying rapid arpeggios continuously, at a fast speed, at a quieter dynamic than the leaping melody line and countermelodies. Great stamina is needed! However, Chopin’s études appear more than a technical exercise. They have a distinct poetic musical character and emotional depth. Composer Robert Schumann praised the work, calling it ‘a poem rather than a study’, coining the nickname ‘Aeolian Harp’. Chopin lecturer Kleczyński names the piece ‘The Shepard Boy’, explaining ‘Chopin directed his pupils to imagine a Shepheard boy taking refuge in a grotto to avoid a storm, playing the melody on his flute.’
