Chopin: 12 Etudes, Op. 25; Barcarolle, Op. 60; Tarantella, Op. 43

French musicologist Marc Pincherle describes Chopin: “A strangely isolated genius of such originality that it has never been possible to connect him with any ‘school.’ It fell to Chopin to reconcile virtuosity with music so that no distinction can be made between them. The Etudes are perfect examples.”
  
The years 1832-34 saw Chopin increasingly occupied with the Etude as an art form; by 1834, Opus 25 Nos. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 were ready for publication. This music explores some of the more imaginative technical problems (thirds, sixths, octaves) encountered by pianists. Two of these Etudes are compositionally further developed than previous works bearing the same name: No. 5, E minor, and No. 10. B minor, have fully developed contrasting middle sections. Wessel’s London edition numbered these studies as if they continued the series of Opus 10. The Winter Wind, No. 11, came later in 1834. The four opening bars of this Etude were added on the suggestion of a musical friend, Charles A. Hoffmann. In January 1836 came the first sketch of No. 2 marked “Presto Agitato”; a second copy with different rhythmic notation is marked “Agitato”; and a final manuscript to be published October 15th in the hands of Breitkopf and Haertel bears the Presto with the direction, “Molto legato”. Also early in 1836 came No. 7, then in a few months Nos. 3 and 12. Schumann refers to No. 12 in C minor, as “a ate and magnificent one”. Finally, written in Dresden, early September 1836, came No. 1 in A-flat Major, thought of as “Shepherd Boy”. An autographed copy of this Etude was sent to Mlle. Clara Wieck by her admirer, Leipzig, 12 September 1836. The entire Opus 25 was dedicated to Marie, Comtesse d Agoult, authoress (“Daniel Stern”), mistress of Franz Liszt, to whom Chopin dedicated his Etudes, Opus 10. Chopin greatly admired Liszt’s keyboard virtuosity when the two played four hand duets Liszt would take the treble leaving Chopin content with the less demonstrative functional role.