Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2017 Learning and Understanding the Piano Etudes of Chopin and Ligeti Nolan Miller Follow this and additional works at the DigiNole: FSU's Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING THE PIANO ETUDES OF CHOPIN AND LIGETI By NOLAN MILLER A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music 2017 Nolan Miller defended this treatise on April 3, 2017. The members of the supervisory committee were: Read Gainsford Professor Directing Treatise Michael Buchler University Representative David Kalhous Committee Member Deborah Bish Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES.................................................................................................iv ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................vi INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1 PART 1: LEARNING THE CHOPIN ETUDES OP. 10..................................................................2 PART 2: INFLUENCES AND INVENTIVENESS IN LIGETI'S ETUDES, DEUXIÈME LIVRE...........................................................................................................15 CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................30 REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................31 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.........................................................................................................33 iii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example 1.1: Etude Op. 10 No. 1, mm. 1-2.....................................................................................4 Example 1.2: Etude Op. 10 No. 8, mm. 74-82.................................................................................7 Example 1.3: Etude Op. 10 No. 2, mm. 1-4.....................................................................................8 Example 1.4: Etude Op. 10 No. 5, mm. 79-80.................................................................................9 Example 1.5: Etude Op. 10 No. 3, mm. 1-4...................................................................................10 Example 1.6: Etude Op. 10 No. 7, mm. 1-2...................................................................................11 Example 1.7: Etude Op. 10 No. 10, mm. 1-2.................................................................................12 Example 1.8: Etude Op. 10 No. 9, mm. 1-3...................................................................................13 Example 1.9: Etude Op. 10 No. 11, mm. 1-3.................................................................................14 Example 1.10: Etude Op. 10 No. 4, mm. 27-28.............................................................................14 Example 2.1: L'escalier du diable, m. 31......................................................................................16 Example 2.2: Vertige, mm. 1-6......................................................................................................17 Example 2.3: Columna infinit!, mm. 1-3......................................................................................18 Example 2.4: Coloana f!r! sfâr"it, mm. 1-3.................................................................................19 Example 2.5: Entrelacs, mm. 1-6..................................................................................................20 Example 2.6: Asymmetrical groupings in Entrelacs, mm. 70-75..................................................21 Example 2.7: 4:3 ratio in Entrelacs, mm. 58-59............................................................................22 Example 2.8: Rhythmic ostinati in Fém, mm. 1-4.........................................................................23 Example 2.9: Deviations from rhythmic ostinati in Fém, mm. 33-36...........................................23 Example 2.10: Der Zauberlehrling, mm. 67-69............................................................................24 iv Example 2.11: Rhythmic ostinati in En Suspens, mm. 1-8............................................................25 Example 2.12: En Suspens, mm. 32-35.........................................................................................26 Example 2.13: Galamb Borong, m. 1............................................................................................27 Example 2.14: Entrelacs, m. 22.....................................................................................................29 v ABSTRACT This treatise is in two distinct sections. The first part uses the Etudes Op. 10 by Frédéric Chopin as a vehicle through which to examine aspects of the learning process. Topics discussed include mindset, the role automatic behaviors play in learning music, and characteristics of deliberate practice. The paper proposes practice techniques for specific passages in the etudes based on the principles of these psychological theories, and discusses approaches to avoid. The second part deals with compositional elements found in the Études pour piano, deuxième livre by György Ligeti. Several influences on Ligeti's style are examined, including artwork, mathematics, and non-Western music. The paper discusses Ligeti's use of asymmetrical rhythms and rhythmic ostinati, his treatment of multiple simultaneous pitch collections, and other features unique to specific etudes. In both sections of the paper, the primary focus is on practical and technical concerns for performers of these pieces, rather than on subjective aspects of musical interpretation. vi INTRODUCTION This treatise is based on content from two separate lecture recitals, originally delivered on April 25, 2015, and November 19, 2016. The first lecture was given alongside a performance of Ligeti's Etudes, deuxième livre, and the second, with Chopin's Etudes Op. 10; in this paper, the order of the two sections is reversed, as the discussion of learning psychology found in the first part is also relevant to the second part. The focus of the first part of the paper is primarily on the learning process itself. Due to their high level of difficulty, the Chopin Etudes serve as an ideal vehicle through which to examine methods and strategies for learning and performing music. Most of the etudes are constructed of one or two types of basic figuration that are repeated throughout the entire work; thus, the same muscle groups are being taxed from the beginning through the end of each piece, and the performer must be careful to avoid movements that result in an excessive buildup of fatigue. This requires a high degree of self-awareness regarding matters of technique, and necessitates a thoughtful approach to learning the etudes. While the Ligeti Etudes are also very technically demanding, perhaps their greatest difficulty lies in the realm of organization. In many of the etudes, the rhythmic structure is far more complex than any found in the works of earlier etude composers, such as Chopin, Liszt, or Rachmaninoff. The texture is frequently constructed of several different layers, each of which acts independently of the others. Although there are traditional bar lines in the score for each etude, this is more for visual clarity than to indicate metrical divisions. Frequently, the two hands will be out of sync for extended periods of time, and there is rarely any sense of a traditional beat structure with downbeats and weak beats. Although the psychology involved in the learning process is discussed in much greater depth in the first part than in the second, the research presented on this topic bears equal relevance to both sets of etudes. The amount of information present in the Ligeti Etudes often makes it very difficult to pay full attention to all of the details in a performance; thus, a basic understanding of the methods the brain has for storing information is indispensable when learning these pieces. !1 PART 1 LEARNING THE CHOPIN ETUDES OP. 10 The 27 Etudes of Frédéric Chopin were written between 1829 and 1839 and published in three sets: twelve in Op. 10, twelve in Op. 25, and the final three without opus number. The first set, which will be the focus of this paper, represents a rare example of exceptionally mature writing from such a young composer. The pieces are technically innovative, musically satisfying, and pedagogically effective; qualities which have earned them a lasting place in the standard repertoire. As the music itself is familiar to musicians and non-musicians alike, this paper will examine the process of learning the etudes. A point of some contention among pianists is whether or not natural advantages, such as large hands or exceptional finger independence, are necessary to be able to play the etudes. On the one hand, it must be acknowledged that the etudes are difficult pieces, requiring a high playing level as a prerequisite. It is also true that the variety of technical challenges found in them may mean