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Home > Concone, Paolo Giuseppe Gioacchino > 20 Etudes sentimentales pour piano, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert

Concone, Paolo Giuseppe Gioacchino : 20 Etudes sentimentales pour piano, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert Op.54

Work Overview

Music ID : 79136
Publication Year:1860
First Publisher:A. Grus
Instrumentation:Piano Solo 
Genre:etude
Total Playing Time:45 min 00 sec
Copyright:Public Domain

Commentary (1)

Author : Nishihara, Masaki

Last Updated: July 12, 2022
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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

Concone, known for his vocal treatises, also composed numerous piano etudes. As listed below, the existence of seven etudes for piano solo and six for piano four-hands has been confirmed (these are arranged not by opus number, but by difficulty level as organized by the publisher Grus in the 19th century; publication years are noted only for confirmed entries). These etudes were widely used in Europe and America from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. In Japan, a total of four collections (two for solo, two for four-hands) were published by Zen-On in 1999, achieving a certain level of dissemination. However, this represents only about one-third of the total volume, and the lack of attention to the remaining etudes is regrettable. A comprehensive understanding and re-evaluation of Concone's piano etudes are highly desired.

For Piano Solo

  • 25 Etudes mélodiques faciles et progressives pour piano, Op. 24 [Paris, Grus, 1841] Domestic edition: 25 Melodic Etudes for Piano [For Beginners to Intermediate] [Zen-On, 1999]
  • 20 Etudes chantantes pour piano, Op. 30 [Paris, Grus] 20 Singing Etudes for Piano
  • 15 Etudes expressives pour piano, Op. 44 [Paris, Grus, 1853] 15 Expressive Etudes for Piano
  • 15 Etudes de Genre et d’Expression pour piano, Op. 25 [Paris, Grus] Domestic edition: 15 Etudes for Piano [Style and Expression] [Zen-On, 1999]
  • 15 Etudes de Style pour piano, Op. 31 [Paris, Grus] 15 Style Etudes for Piano
  • 20 Etudes sentimentales pour piano, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert, Op. 54 [Paris, Grus, 1860] 20 Sentimental Etudes for Piano, on the Prettiest Melodies of Fr. Schubert
  • 15 Etudes brillantes pour piano, Op. posth.[Paris, Grus, 1864] 15 Brilliant Etudes for Piano (Posthumous Work)

For Piano Four-Hands

  • 15 Etudes élémentaires pour piano à 4 mains, Op. 46 [Paris, Grus, 1854] Domestic edition: 15 Elementary Etudes for Piano Four-Hands [Zen-On, 1999]
  • 15 Etudes dialoguées pour piano à 4 mains, Op. 38 [Paris, Grus] Domestic edition: 15 Dialogued Etudes for Piano Four-Hands [Zen-On, 1999]
  • 15 Etudes de Salon pour piano à 4 mains, Op. 39 [Paris, Grus] 15 Salon Etudes for Piano Four-Hands
  • 10 Etudes d’Expression pour piano à 4 mains, Op. 45 [Paris, Grus, 1854] 10 Expression Etudes for Piano Four-Hands
  • 10 Etudes caractéristiques pour piano à 4 mains, Op. 40 [Paris, Grus] 10 Characteristic Etudes for Piano Four-Hands
  • 10 Etudes dramatiques pour piano à 4 mains, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert, Op. 58 [Paris, Grus, 1861] 10 Dramatic Etudes for Piano Four-Hands, on the Prettiest Melodies of Fr. Schubert

Giuseppe Concone (1801–1861), like many Italian composers of his time, initially aimed for success in the world of opera. However, he gradually gained renown as a vocal teacher, settling in Paris from 1837. The prevailing theory is that he returned to his hometown of Turin to spend his later years, avoiding the political instability caused by the February Revolution of 1848. A series of vocal treatises, led by “Concone 50” (Op. 9) and including Opp. 10, 11, 14, 15, and 17, belong to Concone's early works. Among the confirmed opus numbers up to 58, most of the works from Op. 20 onwards are piano solo and four-hand pieces. This indicates that Concone focused not only on vocal instruction but also on piano instruction, actively composing piano pieces, primarily etudes. In terms of total volume, the quantity of piano etudes surpasses that of his vocal treatises. All the aforementioned piano etudes were successively published by Grus in Paris, under the French name Joseph Concone, over more than 20 years, from 1841 during his time in Paris until after his death in 1864. It is not definitively known whether Concone composed this entire series of etudes in Paris, or if he continued to write them at Grus's commission even after returning to Turin; this requires further historical verification. In any case, it is a fact that these etudes, based on the Grus editions, were successively published by major publishers in various countries (Schott in Germany, Ricordi in Italy, Schirmer in America) until the early 20th century, and became internationally widespread as “piano etudes written by Concone of vocal treatise fame.”

Grus titled Concone's series of etudes “Ecole Mélodique” (Melodic Playing Method). Consistently across all these etudes, the primary focus is on singing melodies expressively and conveying rich emotions, rather than on mechanical drills. Technically, the easier pieces are comparable to Czerny's 100 Progressive Studies, and even the most difficult do not exceed the level of Czerny's 40 Daily Studies. While they can be categorized with etudes by composers such as Burgmüller, Streabbog, Duvernoy, Lemoine, and Le Couppey, which are aimed at beginner to intermediate learners, Concone's etudes possess a distinct characteristic in their thorough pursuit of the “singing piano.” Originally, in the piano accompaniment parts of his vocal treatises, Concone demonstrated a refined compositional style that, though simple, maximally enhanced the vocal line. Concone was not only a vocal specialist deeply familiar with bel canto singing but also an outstanding pianist. The significance of Concone, a composer who, even when removing the vocal part from his vocal treatises, wrote piano etudes that condensed the essence and charm of bel canto, is immense. This is why his etudes are unparalleled in their genre. In the current piano education landscape, where instruction is sought to draw out diverse individualities rather than molding students into a fixed pattern, now is precisely the time to shed new light on Concone's piano etudes and actively utilize them.

20 Etudes sentimentales pour piano, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert, Op. 54

As the title suggests, 20 Etudes sentimentales pour piano, sur les plus jolies Mélodies de Fr. Schubert, Op. 54, are etudes based on Schubert's lieder. Among Concone's piano solo etudes with opus numbers, this was his last work (the posthumously published 15 Etudes brillantes is a collection of supplementary and miscellaneous pieces not included in existing etudes). Schubert's German lieder were quickly translated and sung in various European languages, and instrumental arrangements were also actively made. For piano works, Liszt's transcriptions (first published in 1838) gained renown, followed by those of Heller, Thalberg, and others. It was a natural progression for Concone to approach Schubert with a unique method, entirely different from that of the so-called composer-pianists, during a period when piano arrangements of Schubert's lieder were flourishing. A key characteristic of Concone's arrangements is their technical simplicity, making them overwhelmingly easy for learners to play. The difficulty level of this work is approximately that of Czerny's 30 or 40 Daily Studies. Concone rarely employed the well-known “three-hand” technique. Without fear of being criticized as simple or mediocre, he boldly established the right hand for melody and the left hand for accompaniment as the basic roles. While actively incorporating the original song's introductions and accompaniments, he was also skilled at subtly weaving in his own original ideas, which were not present in the original, making them appear as if they were direct transcriptions. This is a sophisticated play, akin to the serene “honkadori” (allusion/quotation), which is not to be expected from the elaborate “three-hand” technique. It can be said to be the culmination of Concone's mastery in opera, vocal music, and piano. Its utility as supplementary material alongside Czerny and other methods is also extremely high. Mastering a resonant, singing style of playing by engaging with the original form of Schubert's melodies in this work will serve as a solid foundation for accompanying lieder in the future, as well as for tackling advanced transcriptions by Liszt or Godowsky.

The following lists the pieces in order of French title, Japanese title (common Japanese translation based on the German original title), German original title, Schubert Opus number, and Deutsch number.

  • No. 1 La jeune mère 子守歌 [Wiegenlied, Op. 98-2, D. 498] Lento amabile 2/4 time, A-flat major
  • No. 2 L’Attente 君はわが憩い [Du bist die Ruh, Op. 59-3, D. 776] Lento quasi Andantino 3/8 time, E-flat major
  • No. 3 Douleur sans trève ミニョンに [Au Mignon, Op. 19-2, D. 161] Andantino espressivo 6/8 time, G minor
  • No. 4 Eloge des larmes 涙の賛美 [Lob der Tränen, Op. 13-2, D. 711] Andante espressivo 3/4 time, D major
  • No. 5 Sois mes amours あいさつを贈ろう [Sei mir gegrüßt, Op. 20-1, D. 741] Moderato cantabile 3/4 time, B-flat major
  • No. 6 Le papillon ちょうちょう [Der Schmetterling, Op. 57-1, D. 633] Allegretto vivo 2/4 time, F major
  • No. 7 Le corbeau からす(「冬の旅」より)[Die Krähe, Op. 89-15, D. 911-15] Moderato assai 2/4 time, C minor
  • No. 8 Roméo (Sérénade de Shakespeare) きけきけひばり [Ständchen, Op. 127, D. 889] Allegretto 6/8 time, C major
  • No. 9 Chant d’Hélène 兵士よ憩え(エレンの歌 第1番)[Ellens Gesang I, Op. 52-1, D. 837] Andante assai Lento 3/4 time, D-flat major
  • No. 10 Le langage des fleurs 花の手紙 [Der Blumenbrief, D. 622] Allegretto grazioso 2/4 time, B-flat major
  • No. 11 Toute ma vie いらだち(「美しき水車小屋の娘」より)[Ungeduld, Op. 25-7, D. 795-7] Moderato assai 3/4 time, F major
  • No. 12 Le reflèt 水鏡 [Wiederschein, D. 949] Moderato maestoso 4/4 time, C major
  • No. 13 Dis-le-moi 四つの時代 [Die vier Weltalter, Op. 111-3, D. 391] Allegretto grazioso 3/8 time, G major
  • No. 14 Souvenir 幻影 [Die Erscheinung, Op. 108-3, D. 229] Andantino amoroso 4/4 time, E major
  • No. 15 Le plaisir 歓喜に寄す [An die Freude, Op. 111-1, D. 189] Allegro con spirito 4/4 time, E major
  • No. 16 La fleur chérie 好きな色(「美しき水車小屋の娘」より) [Die liebe Farbe, Op. 25-16, D. 795-16] Andante un peu lent 2/4 time, B minor
  • No. 17 La peri (ou la truite) ます [Die Forelle, Op. 32, D. 550] Allegretto 2/4 time, C major
  • No. 18 Illusion まぼろし(「冬の旅」より) [Täuschung, Op. 89-19, D. 911-19] Allegretto 6/8 time, A major
  • No. 19 La sérénade セレナード(「白鳥の歌」より) [Ständchen, D. 957-4] Moderato 3/4 time, D minor
  • No. 20 Le meunier voyageur さすらい(「美しき水車小屋の娘」より) [Das Wandern, Op. 25-1, D. 795-1] Allegro moderato assai 2/4 time, B-flat major

Movements (20)

Wiegenlied D 498

Key: As-Dur 

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Du bist die Ruh D 776

Key: Es-Dur 

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Au Mignon D 161

Key: g-moll 

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Die Krähe D 911

Key: c-moll 

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Ständchen D 889

Key: C-Dur 

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Ellens Gesang I D 837

Key: Des-Dur 

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Ungeduld D 795

Key: F-Dur 

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Wiederschein D 949

Key: C-Dur 

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An die Freude D 189

Key: E-Dur 

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Die liebe Farbe D 795

Key: h-moll 

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Die Forolle D 550

Key: C-Dur 

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Täuschung D 911

Key: A-Dur 

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Ständchen D 957

Key: d-moll 

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Das Wandern D 795

Key: B-Dur 

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