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Burgmüller - 4. La Petite Réunion (The Little Party) in C major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The LH is the leader in the introduction. Let the melody sing out as it invites us to the party. Imagine the RH as excited chatter or laughter from the other guests, who are excited to be at the gathering. I recommend small forearm bounces close to the keys, the wrist unbending. For stability in the hand, practise repeating each chord two (or more) times. Thinking of the double notes in two parts (soprano and alto), first play each part by itself, making sure to use the fingering you will use when playing both parts together. Tapping the... Read >>

Burgmüller - 21. L’Harmonie des Anges (The Music of the Angels) in G Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The marking armonioso (harmoniously) implies that L’harmonie des anges (The Music of the Angels) requires pedal to blend the notes into clouds of harmony. How we pedal is actually the main objective of the étude; it will soon become apparent that there are plenty of possible solutions that can work, and that variety in our pedalling is called for. Literal-minded players may conclude that the pedal must be cleared in the presence of rests. While this may be a good guideline for Baroque and Classical period music, Romantic style is much freer. The left-hand rests in bar 1, for example,... Read >>

Burgmüller - 2. L’Arabesque (Arabesque) in A minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Keep the LH chords close to the keyboard, the fingertips firm and somewhat active, the wrist loose but relatively still. When practising the LH separately, the following patterns will help to learn the hand shapes: Play RH semiquaver patterns lightly using a drop-roll (down-up) movement generated from the arm. Small lateral adjustments in the wrist keep us free and loose by assisting finger articulation. The first note of each RH group is the strongest, the last note lighter and short. You might practise chaining the drop-roll slurs thus (RH alone): ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 12. L'Adieu (Farewell) in A Minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

L’adieu (The Farewell) tells the story of a departure, perhaps of a close friend or family member, and the resulting feelings of sadness and anxiety. The only respite from the turbulent emotions is to be found in the B section (from bar 17) - in C major, but even then this brief moment of warmth and respite is tinged with regret (the Ab in bar 24). The form of the piece is ternary (ABA) with an introduction and coda. The main technical problem posed by this étude is how to play the triplet quaver patterns at speed - with dynamics... Read >>

Burgmüller - 7. Le Courant Limpide (The Clear Little Stream) in G Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

Le Courant Limpide (The Clear Little Stream) is a charming study in tonal control, evenness of touch, and using the imagination to create a vivid soundscape. The study features virtually continuous triplet motion in the right hand, the left hand crotchets providing a simple drone in the A section, and a counterpoint to the right hand’s hidden melody in the B section. The melodic element in the first eight bars is in the right thumb (you will notice these melody notes have their own crotchet stems), so for this reason it is good practice to play the thumb line minus... Read >>

Burgmüller - 9. La Chasse (Hunting Song) in C Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

The previous two studies were about delicacy and control of sound in the softer dynamic levels; La chasse has all the energy and colour of a hunt, with a dynamic range from pp to f. The form is rondo (A-B-A-C-A), with an introduction and a coda. We clearly hear the hunting horns and the galloping of horses’ hooves, and we feel the excitement of the occasion. Do we also detect a certain compassion for the poor fox in the troubled B section (dominant minor, poco agitato) and the expressive C section in the relative minor, marked dolente (sadly)? The staccato... Read >>

Burgmüller - 6. Progrès (Progress) in C Major (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

We return to C major for this lively, cheerful piece entitled Progrès (Progress). With touches of laughter (the staccato quavers in bars 3, 4 and 7), this study celebrates the pleasure in making progress - we have come a long way on our journey already! This study features scales in parallel tenths, a contrary motion scale, changes of touch from legato to staccato, rapid changes in hand position with jumps in both hands, and syncopated slurs. The general rule that the first note of a slur should take the accent, no matter which beat it falls on, is reinforced by... Read >>

J. F. F. Burgmüller - Tarantella (No. 20 from 25 études faciles et progressives, Op. 100)

ABRSM Grade 5 – A1

Preview (please log-in or subscribe to see full video) Resources & links This piece is available for individual purchase as a digital download here or in print as part of the Piano Exam Pieces 2025 & 2026 Grade 5 publication here. Open domain editions are also available here. You can listen to a recording of this piece and others from this grade on Spotify using this link. ... Read >>

Burgmüller - 18. Inquiétude (Restlessness) in E Minor (from 25 Easy and Progressive Etudes, Op. 100)

In Inquiétude (Restlessness) we find just one basic pattern – left hand staccato chords on each beat of the bar and scurrying semiquaver groups in the right hand, off the beat. It makes sense to begin learning the notes with the left hand, the conductor. The wedged staccato dashes tell us to play short and emphatically, with energy in the tips of the fingers. The right hand groups need to be played close to the keys, yet with a sense of shaping and mobility in the hand and wrist. The wider intervals, such as we find in bars 5-6, and... Read >>