Stefan Heller, Selected Studies

Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego

HIRE LIBRARY CATALOG WEBSHOP PBM

Stefan Heller

Selected Studies

from Opp. 45, 46, 47 for Piano

Publisher: PWM Edition

Countries of delivery:

Cat. no. 6358

Stephen Heller’s etudes, opp. 45, 46 and 47, representing a sort of intermediate form between the etude and the piano miniature, were designed to develop not only technique, but also – perhaps above all – musicality in the pupil (phrasing, dynamic shading, a songful leading of the melody in the right or left hand, mastery of complicated rhythms, pedalling, and so on). They are intended to prepare the pupil for performing works from the Romantic era containing similar musical and technical problems and representing an analogous or slightly higher level of difficulty.
From those three opuses, comprising a total of 80 etudes, we have chosen 38, which we consider to contain more artistic or pedagogic qualities. The works are ordered according to difficulty. We have retained most of the performance markings from the editions known to us (it is difficult to ascertain which markings were given by the composer), introducing changes solely with the aim of obtaining greater simplicity and ‘longer-breathed phrases’. One should avoid affectation in their interpretation (excessive crescendo and diminuendo, exaggerated slowing, overstressed accents, etc.). We have revised the fingering as a whole and edited the pedalling* – the use of pedal depends, however, on too many variables (the kind of instrument, the acoustics of the hall, a performer’s individual articulation, and so forth), hence the proposed pedalling is intended merely as a guide and may be altered according to the circumstances and the pupil’s ability.

* Wherever neighbouring signs are separated by an asterisk, the second sign denotes syncopated pedal (the foot is raised from the pedal at the specified point and then depressed again at once or slightly later – so-called delayed syncopated pedal).

Maria and Adam Rieger