No.8 La Gracieuse
Description
Poise is what the title claims, and the problem this eighth study of Op. 100 sets is how to turn it into actual sound. In the Paris where Burgmüller worked, graceful salon miniatures like this were the central pleasure of the domestic piano. The piece's poise reflects the elegance those homes prized.
Ornamental figuration sits in the right hand, turning lightly as it traces the melodic line. More than three hundred notes fall within about thirty seconds of F major triple time — a high density for the collection — yet the character is unhurried and elegant, and the range covers exactly five octaves, F to F.
Lightness rather than speed is how the ornaments should be handled. Struck hard, they destroy the grace and the piece turns back into an exercise. Treat each ornament as the approach to the note it leads to: play through it lightly and support only the landing. Doing that while holding the weight of the triple metre is what produces the composure the title promises.
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
What this piece teaches
"Grace." Ornaments such as turns, worked into the melody without stopping its flow.
How to practise it
- Slow the ornamented spots to 0.5x and watch how many notes there are and where they fall.
- Do not cram the ornaments in; give them a natural speed that fits inside the beat.
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."
View all works by Burgmüller →