Etude op. 10 no. 12
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| Key/Time Signature: | C minor, 4/4 |
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| Form: | Etude |
| Date of composition: | 1831 |
| Opus Number: | 10 No. 12 |
| Movements/Sections: | - |
| Dedication: | - |
Étude in C minor, op. 10 no. 12, known as The Revolutionary Étude, is a solo piano work by Frédéric Chopin written circa 1831. It is the 12th of his first set of etudes - "Douze Grandes Etudes" dedicated to "son ami Franz Liszt" (his friend Franz Liszt). The two sets of Études, Opus 10 and 25, are known collectively as the Chopin Études, although Chopin also contributed three other lesser known études.
Unlike études of prior periods (works designed to emphasize and develop particular aspects of musical technique, cf the much feared but essential School of Velocity,[1] or the Five Finger Exercises by Hanon[2]) the romantic études of composers such as Chopin and Liszt are fully developed musical concert pieces, but retain the stylistic goal of emphasizing development of particular piano techniques.
In the case of The Revolutionary Étude, the technique required in the opening bars is playing an extremely fast, long and loud descending harmonic minor scale. What makes it an étude and not just a stylistic element that might be found in any piece is length and repetition.
Another technique developed is cross-rhythms which are used with increasing sophistication to handle the same theme in various successive parallel passages.
The étude appeared around the same time as the Russian takeover of Warsaw in 1831. Chopin was unable to take an active part in the uprising due to his physical frailty and instead poured his emotions on the matter into many pieces that he composed at that time - the most notable being the Revolutionary Étude.
The left hand technique involved in this piece involves evenly played rapid passages throughout (Kamien 231). The basic form is a strophic coda form (A A'). The opening broken chords (diminished chord with an added passing note) and downward passages transition into the main appassionato melody. The octave melody's dotted rhythms and the continuous accompaniment creates tension. At the end of the A' section, the coda provides somewhat of a rest from that tension and then the work recalls the opening in a final descending sweep leading to the final closing chords. (Kamien 232)
[edit] Contemporary Adaptations
The popular music-game developer Bemani has used a remix of Chopin's Revolutionary Etude in Beatmania IIDX and then later in Dance Dance Revolution. The song is called Kakumei, which means "revolution" in Japanese. It was remixed by DJ Taka, an in-house DJ for Bemani.
[edit] Notes
- ^ by Czerny, Beethoven's star pupil. Selections from this work form a key constituent of study book supplements put out by the major music schools, carefully selected for difficulty matching each particular grade level.
- ^ Arguably an essential part of pianist training but mind-numbingly boring to listen to, and the exercises can also cause severe strain of the hand and arm muscles if overdone. Almost all piano students spent a notable time at Hanon studies.
[edit] External links
- A public domain engraving of the score using GNU LilyPond is available from the Mutopia Project in several formats.
- Public Domain Scanned Sheet Music of the Etudes Op.10 at IMSLP
