Nobody knows who first appended the nickname “The Bees” to the Étude in F minor, Op. Personally, I like the “Aeolian Harp” image better as the melody notes in the right hand give the impression of being plucked, while the rustling accompaniment evokes the image of a harp being strummed. Apparently, Chopin advised a student to “picture a shepherd boy playing the melody on a flute while taking refuge in a grotto to avoid a storm. The alternate nickname “The Shepherd Boy” is based on a supposed anecdote related by the Polish pianist Jan Kleczyński. 25 is aptly nicknamed “Aeolian Harp.” Robert Schumann already praised this work and called it “a poem rather than a study.” In fact, the nickname “Aeolian Harp” was actually coined by Schumann, who believed the piece to sound similar to this mythical stringed instrument played by the wind. 25, is dedicated to Liszt’s mistress, Marie d’Agoult. 10 is dedicated to “his friend Franz Liszt,” the second set of Études published only four years later as his Op. In his article on piano etudes for the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik in 1836, Robert Schumann classified this study under the category “speed and lightness.” His compatriot Theodor Kullak heard a piece “full of Polish elegance,” and the Chopin scholar Robert Collet believes that it “needs to be played with real gaiety and wit, though not without tenderness.” Since all keys matter, there is one white key used in the right hand, can you find it? Frédéric Chopin: Étude in C minor, Op. “Did Wieck play my Étude well? How could she have chosen precisely this étude, the least interesting for those who do not know that it is intended for the black keys, instead of something better! It would have been better to remain silent.” It is easy to see how this particular étude gets its nickname, as the quick accompaniment in the right hand is primarily played on the black keys of the piano. ![]() In a letter to his pianist friend Julian Fontata from 25 April 1839, he commented on a performance of this étude by Clara Wieck. While the so-called “Black Key Étude” is one of the composer’s most popular pieces, the composer did not believe it to be his most interesting one. Frédéric Chopin: Étude in G-flat major, Op. ![]() They suggest that it should probably be heard as an expression of nostalgia for his homeland, and it is undoubtedly one of Chopin’s most popular and best-loved compositions. Despite its undoubtedly highly emotional appeal, however, many critics and performers consider the nicknames poorly chosen. Apparently, Chopin said to his German pupil and copyist Adolph Gutmann that he “had never in his life written another such beautiful melody.” And when Gutmann was studying this piece “Chopin lifted his arms with his hands clasped, suddenly began weeping and cried, O, my fatherland!” If we hear this étude within this context, it is easy to discover sadness and an expression of nationalism. ![]() ![]() These names were not supplied by Chopin but are based on an anecdotal description by the Chopin biographer Frederick Niecks. “It is a piece of intimate character and rich cantabile melodies, relieved in its middle section by a highly effective and novel character.” Early commentators considered it among Chopin’s loveliest compositions as it “combines classical chasteness of contour with the fragrance of romanticism.” This study carries the “Tristesse” (Sadness) or sometimes “L’Adieu” (Farewell) nicknames.
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