Ensemble: DoubleBeats

Composer: Chopin, Fryderyk

Etudes, Op. 25

Etudes, Op. 10

Venue: Philharmonie, Berlin

Date of Concert: 2017

Playing Time: 00:07:43

Catalogue Number: NVF1303

UPC: 730099630313

The 24 etudes for solo piano that make up Chopin's Opp. 10 and 25 cycles may be technical exercises, but their extra-musicality and picture painting has ensured their sustained popularity and place in the repertoire. Etude in E flat major, Op. 10, No. 11, with its spread of undulating arpeggios, creates a gently rippling texture
that translates idiomatically to the soft, resonant tones of the marimba. By contrast, Etude in A minor, Op. 25, No. 4, marked Agitato, is closer in character to a technical study but its syncopated staccato rhythm, which sets left-hand leaps against right-hand chords, creates a narrative of high drama.