No.16 Douce Plainte
Description
Not dramatic grief but a muted, half-private complaint sets the mood of "Gentle Complaint," the sixteenth study of Op. 100. Burgmüller's titles also serve to fix in advance the range of volume and mood a study wants, and here "do not play loudly" is effectively the instruction.
The melody repeats short figures that alter slightly as they go, while the harmony moves quietly within G minor in common time. The range is a narrow three octaves with no large leaps, and the whole piece lasts about thirty-five seconds — one of the smallest in the collection.
Legato and shaping at a soft dynamic are what it develops. With few notes to work with, the length and weight of each one becomes the expression. Varying each return of the figure a little, and finishing phrases carefully rather than letting them drop, is what keeps it from turning monotonous. It is also a good piece for practising connection with the fingers alone, without the pedal.
A set of beginner études by Burgmüller, each bearing an evocative title, offering a classic way to develop technique and musical expression together.
Browse all songs in 25 Easy and Progressive Studies Op.100 →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806-1874)
Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmuller was born in Germany and spent much of his career in Paris, where he composed the ballet La Peri. He is best remembered today for his pedagogical piano collections, especially the 25 Etudes faciles et progressives, Op. 100, whose accessible, tuneful pieces remain popular with beginning pianists. This site includes Nos. 1 to 18 of the 25 Etudes, Op. 100, beginning with "La Candeur" and "Arabesque."
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