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Burgmüller, Johann Friedrich Franz : 18 Etudes de genre (faisant Suite aux Etudes faciles op. 100)　La Séparation Op.109-16

Work Overview

Music ID : 34169
Instrumentation：Piano Solo　
Genre：etude
Total Playing Time：1 min 20 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
etude
Piano Solo
piano solo

Commentary (2)

Author : Ooi, Kazurou

Last Updated: November 15, 2022
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

While the author is unsure how to connect the title of this piece with the sounds actually played, there is one crucial point to keep in mind when performing it.

Although the structure of the melody line being in the left hand and the right hand providing accompaniment is clear, there are several instances where the right-hand accompaniment appears as an independent voice, beyond its mere accompanying function, and how one interprets these moments provides a clue for performance.

Taking bar 4 as the simplest example, a change occurs in the right hand, which had primarily served as chordal accompaniment until then.

If we extract only the top notes, they are G C F B.

Furthermore, in bar 6, if we extract only the top notes, they are E♭ E♭ E♭ F, whereas if we extract only the middle notes of the right-hand chords, they are B B C C. Regardless of bar 4, in cases like bar 6, if either the top voice or the middle voice of the chord can be perceived as a melodic line, the choice of which voice to emphasize is left to the performer. This aspect offers freedom.

In other words, it means not to prioritize only the left hand, but to respect any voice that emerges in the right hand.

Now, let's look at bars 11-12. If we extract only the top notes of the right-hand chords here, across two bars, they are C D E♭ G C C B B. Furthermore, it is also acceptable to consider the middle voice of the chord, or even the lowest note of the chord, as a voice; however, please be aware that one does not always necessarily follow the same voice throughout.

The author believes that the right-hand melodic line in bars 11-12 is C D E♭ G C F♯ G D.

That is, from bar 11 to the first beat of bar 12, it is the top note of the chord; from the second beat to the third beat, it is the middle note of the chord; and on the fourth beat, it is the lowest note of the chord. This was not extracted randomly.

This is because C D E♭ G C F♯ G D in bars 11-12 almost perfectly matches the intervallic relationship of the melodic line in bars 1-2, which is E♭ G B B C A B E♭.

It is not difficult to imagine that Burgmüller composed bars 11-12 with the melodic line of bars 1-2 in mind.

Writer: Ooi, Kazurou

Author : Sato, Takashi

Last Updated: January 31, 2022
[Open]
Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The original title of L'adieu, the 12th piece from 25 Etudes, was 'Farewell!' signifying an eternal parting. In contrast, the original title of this piece, La séparation, means a physical separation. Although the exact meaning intended is unclear, this is an uplifting and positive piece, completely different from the melancholic L'adieu. Perhaps it demonstrates the 'clarity of separation' in the right hand's repeated notes.

Performance Points (Original Tempo ♩=152)

 Throughout the piece, the rhythmic pattern remains consistent, with the right hand lightly repeating chords in triplets where the first note of the beat is a rest. The key point is, as always, the use of the wrist. It is advisable to review La Gracieuse and L'éveil dans la forêt. From measure 5, it is important to strike the middle note of the chord firmly. Various altered notes are used, but the C-flat that appears near the end, which is the lowered sixth degree, is a note borrowed from the parallel minor, and is referred to as 'mordua' (モルドゥア). It has a slightly melancholic atmosphere and is often used at the end of pieces.

(From To-on Edition Burgmüller 18 Etudes (NS61))

Writer: Sato, Takashi
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