No.4 La Petite Réunion
Description
Named for "the little gathering," this fourth study of Op. 100 passes short figures between the hands like remarks exchanged in conversation. Burgmüller's titles are not decoration but instruction: they name the manner of playing each study is after, and here that manner is the timing of question and answer.
Short staccato figures sit next to legato melodic lines, so the player is constantly switching between them. The frame is plain C major in common time and the harmony stays simple; it is the articulation alone that changes the scene.
Everything rests on a clear distinction between staccato and legato. If the wrist stiffens when the notes are cut short, the legato that follows will not connect. Keep the wrist loose and the staccato shallow, and keep the fingers on the keys through the legato — drawing that contrast sharply is what turns the figures into a conversation.
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
"The Little Party." The hands trade short figures back and forth like chatter, and chords played staccato must sound together.
How to practise it
- When two or more notes sound together, they must land at the same instant - you can see and hear when they do not.
- Where the hands hand over, hear the end of one and the start of the other as a single phrase.
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 →