Does someone know the 30 progressive studies from S. Heller ?

[drooxy]

... and more precisely, the first one !

Hi everyone,

I am looking for all information on that piece (how to work on it, how to play it, what are the pianistic technics that it develops, etc., etc.)

Thanks !
Drooxy

[bernhard]

Which opus? (There are several).

[drooxy]

Bernhard !

Good to read you ! 

Opus 46... ftp://82.127.80.152

Thanks !

[BoliverAllmon]

I had someone recommend these studies once. Does anyone find them useful?

[ada]

Well I've just recently started on Op.45, No.14 and I'm also interested in what anyone else thinks about Heller's etudes. At first I found this particular piece very ugly but it kind of grows on you. I think variety of tone is the key in this one. But I'm unsure how fast it should be played and all those chords give me a sore hand.

[ryno200sx]

I am not familiar with Heller's works, but I heard someone play a Heller Etude that was very beautiful once, but they didn't say which one it was, so I don't even know if it was from this collection or not. Can any one recommend some from this collection that sound good?

Thanks,
Ryan

[bernhard]

Bernhard !

Good to read you ! 

Opus 46... ftp://82.127.80.152

Thanks !

I haven't forgotten your question!

I will try to answer it over the weekend.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

Well I've just recently started on Op.45, No.14 and I'm also interested in what anyone else thinks about Heller's etudes. At first I found this particular piece very ugly but it kind of grows on you. I think variety of tone is the key in this one. But I'm unsure how fast it should be played and all those chords give me a sore hand.

Around crochet (quarter note) = 120 is about right.

Best wishes,
Benrhard.

[bernhard]

I am not familiar with Heller's works, but I heard someone play a Heller Etude that was very beautiful once, but they didn't say which one it was, so I don't even know if it was from this collection or not. Can any one recommend some from this collection that sound good?

Thanks,
Ryan

Heller studies are superb.

First they are reasonably easy (around grade 5). So they do not present the formidable challenges of the next level of superb etudes: Chopin’s Liszt’s and Rachmaninoff’s.

Second, just like the virtuoso etudes above, Heller’s are also superior music. They can easily be considered repertory and learned not for the acquisition of technique (as if this was possible) but as beautiful pieces of music in their own right.

Third, Heller was a top pianist in his day (many considered his piano playing to be superior to Chopin’s), who was friends with Chopin, Schumann and Liszt (amongst otheres) all of whom admired and encouraged him. This means that all his studies are particularly idiomatic to the piano and fit the hand very well.

Fourth, many of his studies prepare beautifully for the more advanced repertory a student may wish to learn. So, if a student is obsessed with Rachmaninof’s prelude in C# minor, but can not quite manage it yet, Etude op. 45 no. 15 can provide an excellent replacement – not only they sound similar (perhaps that is where Rach got the idea) – as Heller’s study is perfectly doable (it sounds far more difficult than it actually is) and will prepare the way for Rach later on. In fact you will be able to find a preparatory study by Heller for just about any virtuoso piece of the Romantic repertory, and the Heller will sound just as good.

Here are a few of my favourites, but the list is almost random, since anything Heller wrote is usually high quality:

1.   32 preludes for Lily – op. 119 – If you are a total beginner, or just above this level, this collection is the place to start. I find it amazing that Heller could write music that is so effective with such limited means.

2.   Right after in degree of difficulty is “Flower, fruit and thorn pieces (Nuites Blanches) op. 82. These are really songs without words, and there are 18 little gems in the collection. A curious fact is that these pieces were inspired by the writings of Jean Paul Richter (who also inspired Schumann).

3.   “Album for the young” op. 138 has 25 pieces similar to op. 82. and all of them sound far more difficult than they actually are. Like most of Heller pedagogical works they use figurations and idioms typical of the romantic virtuoso repertory, but in a much easier setting.

4.   Etudes op. 45, 46, 47 & 125. – These are the most well know collection of Heller studies. They are all melodic, and for most of them you would not guess that they are studies at all. Favorites on op. 45 are no. 3 (particularly good for developing finger agility), no. 5, no. 7 (not appropriate for small hands: too an octaves), no. 9 (an excellent preparation for Chopin Op. 25 no. 1 which it resembles), no. 10, no. 14 (similar to some of Mendelssohn’s SWW, this one is excellent for repeated chords – one of the most difficult of the set), no. 15 (excellent preparation for the Rach prelude in C# minor, which it resembles), no. 16 (arpeggios on the RH, melody on the LH – excellent preparation for Chopin nocturnes), no. 22 (one of my favourites – the melodic line weaves its way in an arpeggio figuration. There are wild hand crossings, and it will develop your accurate jumping all over the keyboard. One of the most difficult of the lot).

Op. 46 is slightly more difficult than op. 45 (as difficult as the easiest Mendelssohn’s SWW). My favourites are no. 5, no. 8 (a very good preparation for Schumann and for Mendelssohn’s op. 19 no. 1), no. 12 (uses a lot of chromatic scales), and no. 25.

Op. 47 is much easier than op. 46, and I don’t like it as much as the other two. No. 23 is one of the nicest, with a lot of hand crossings. No. 21 is truly beautiful, with the melody moving from the left to the right hand with an accompaniment of syncopated chords. No. 15 is a good preparation for the first movement of the moonlight which it resembles.

Op. 125 has some real gems. Check out the beautiful and highly expressive no. 22. Also no. 13 – a slow and tranquil piece. And if you are into chromatic scales, no. 20 is for you.

5.   All the previous studies prepare for the “Art of Phrasing” op. 16. There are 26 pieces in all, and they are for the more advanced students. After that, the next stop is Chopin studies.

6.   Finally, Heller also wrote a number of sonatinas (mostly unknown) under op 146, 147 and 149. Sonatina op. 149 resembles the Moonlight first movement and can be used as preparatory material.

And the really nice thing about all these pieces, is that they are actually pieces of music.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[quasimodo]

... and more precisely, the first one !

Hi everyone,

I am looking for all information on that piece (how to work on it, how to play it, what are the pianistic technics that it develops, etc., etc.)

Thanks !
Drooxy

 

Hi, Drooxy 

[drooxy]

Hey Quasi ! 

  Nice to see you here ! What's up ?

  Hey, it seems we both travel a lot (at least virtually !) ? 

Bernhard,

Thanks for your input ! I really like to work on the 1st of the 30 proressive studies from Heller ! Not necessarily for its pure musical beauty (although well played it is very nice to hear !) but I find it very rich technically speaking (and also not too hard as you say above !). I am sure I am making progress working on it ! It also decided me to focus on my left hand that was - still is - so weak ! I am playing lots of scales LH and I found it useful to play them descending first (LH only) ! I am gaining accuracy in my playing... I have no doubt with that ! I can notice when I play my other pieces !

Why don't teachers put the priority on the left (resp. right) hand exercises when they teach to right (resp. left) handed students ? I don't remember my teachers insisting on that when I was young and I spent lots of time playing HT which, I believe hides the LH (or RH !) weakness.. (to me it looks like the thread where you explain that we should not learn the trebble key and then the bass key but both together since, eventually, we play both keys together ! It also really makes sense and here again it does not seem that lots of teachers put such an obvious point into application...).

Anyway, back to focusing on the weakest hand's work, the overall playing technic can tremendously be improved I think ! I am sure it is one of the ways to "free the caged bird" and I suspect it is often underestimated or just ignored ! Am I wrong ?   

More generally speaking, I listened to all Heller studies, and it has been a real revelation ! In them, I "recognized" Bach, Mozart...  and, of course, Chopin ! What I am saying might seem ridiculous to you (my musical knowledge not being very rich and accurate... !)... but I have been under the impression to hear a little of all of them !

OK that's it for now - I have to go !

Thanks again Bernhard ! And Quasi, we might meet again in "France" shortly !!! 

[ryno200sx]

Heller studies are superb.

First they are reasonably easy (around grade 5). So they do not present the formidable challenges of the next level of superb etudes: Chopin’s Liszt’s and Rachmaninoff’s.

Second, just like the virtuoso etudes above, Heller’s are also superior music. They can easily be considered repertory and learned not for the acquisition of technique (as if this was possible) but as beautiful pieces of music in their own right.

Third, Heller was a top pianist in his day (many considered his piano playing to be superior to Chopin’s), who was friends with Chopin, Schumann and Liszt (amongst otheres) all of whom admired and encouraged him. This means that all his studies are particularly idiomatic to the piano and fit the hand very well.

Fourth, many of his studies prepare beautifully for the more advanced repertory a student may wish to learn. So, if a student is obsessed with Rachmaninof’s prelude in C# minor, but can not quite manage it yet, Etude op. 45 no. 15 can provide an excellent replacement – not only they sound similar (perhaps that is where Rach got the idea) – as Heller’s study is perfectly doable (it sounds far more difficult than it actually is) and will prepare the way for Rach later on. In fact you will be able to find a preparatory study by Heller for just about any virtuoso piece of the Romantic repertory, and the Heller will sound just as good.

Here are a few of my favourites, but the list is almost random, since anything Heller wrote is usually high quality:

1.   32 preludes for Lily – op. 119 – If you are a total beginner, or just above this level, this collection is the place to start. I find it amazing that Heller could write music that is so effective with such limited means.

2.   Right after in degree of difficulty is “Flower, fruit and thorn pieces (Nuites Blanches) op. 82. These are really songs without words, and there are 18 little gems in the collection. A curious fact is that these pieces were inspired by the writings of Jean Paul Richter (who also inspired Schumann).

3.   “Album for the young” op. 138 has 25 pieces similar to op. 82. and all of them sound far more difficult than they actually are. Like most of Heller pedagogical works they use figurations and idioms typical of the romantic virtuoso repertory, but in a much easier setting.

4.   Etudes op. 45, 46, 47 & 125. – These are the most well know collection of Heller studies. They are all melodic, and for most of them you would not guess that they are studies at all. Favorites on op. 45 are no. 3 (particularly good for developing finger agility), no. 5, no. 7 (not appropriate for small hands: too an octaves), no. 9 (an excellent preparation for Chopin Op. 25 no. 1 which it resembles), no. 10, no. 14 (similar to some of Mendelssohn’s SWW, this one is excellent for repeated chords – one of the most difficult of the set), no. 15 (excellent preparation for the Rach prelude in C# minor, which it resembles), no. 16 (arpeggios on the RH, melody on the LH – excellent preparation for Chopin nocturnes), no. 22 (one of my favourites – the melodic line weaves its way in an arpeggio figuration. There are wild hand crossings, and it will develop your accurate jumping all over the keyboard. One of the most difficult of the lot).

Op. 46 is slightly more difficult than op. 45 (as difficult as the easiest Mendelssohn’s SWW). My favourites are no. 5, no. 8 (a very good preparation for Schumann and for Mendelssohn’s op. 19 no. 1), no. 12 (uses a lot of chromatic scales), and no. 25.

Op. 47 is much easier than op. 46, and I don’t like it as much as the other two. No. 23 is one of the nicest, with a lot of hand crossings. No. 21 is truly beautiful, with the melody moving from the left to the right hand with an accompaniment of syncopated chords. No. 15 is a good preparation for the first movement of the moonlight which it resembles.

Op. 125 has some real gems. Check out the beautiful and highly expressive no. 22. Also no. 13 – a slow and tranquil piece. And if you are into chromatic scales, no. 20 is for you.

5.   All the previous studies prepare for the “Art of Phrasing” op. 16. There are 26 pieces in all, and they are for the more advanced students. After that, the next stop is Chopin studies.

6.   Finally, Heller also wrote a number of sonatinas (mostly unknown) under op 146, 147 and 149. Sonatina op. 149 resembles the Moonlight first movement and can be used as preparatory material.

And the really nice thing about all these pieces, is that they are actually pieces of music.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Thanks for the informative post, Bernhard. I will definitely look further into some of Heller's material. I have been focusing on Schumann for awhile now.

Thanks again,
Ryan

[bernhard]

Anyway, back to focusing on the weakest hand's work, the overall playing technic can tremendously be improved I think ! I am sure it is one of the ways to "free the caged bird" and I suspect it is often underestimated or just ignored ! Am I wrong ? 

You are right.  

More generally speaking, I listened to all Heller studies, and it has been a real revelation ! In them, I "recognized" Bach, Mozart...  and, of course, Chopin ! What I am saying might seem ridiculous to you (my musical knowledge not being very rich and accurate... !)... but I have been under the impression to hear a little of all of them !

Where did you hear them? I have been looking ofr a CD (or midis at worst) of them for sometime now!

And you are completely right. His studies are "approachable" versions (and therefore preparatory) of the advcned works of Chopin, Liszt,. Schumann, etc. What is so amazing about them is that in spite of being approachable, they are also verystaisfying a spieces of music in themselves (usuall such simplifications then to be awful) which just goes to show what a good composer he really was.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

PS See below!

[bernhard]

Heller Op, 46 no1.

Techniques being addressed:

1.   General nimbleness of in fingers in both right and left hand. If you look at the semiquaver figurations, the right hand has different patterns of finger co-ordination from the left hand. That is, you will be developping different movement patterns on each hand. (more about that later).

2.   Now if you look at the several quaver patterns, which are mostly in chords, the first technique to be negotiated is hand shifting, that is, moving from one chord to the next.

3.   But then if you look at Heller’s articulation directions, each pair of chords is to be played legato with the second chord staccato. This will require thoughtful practice with separate hands, and then even more thoughtful practice when joining hands.

4.   If you mow observe the stress (accent) directions for these quavers (chords), you will see that Heller has displaced the accents from the strong beats, so that the whole accompaniment is syncopated in relation to the natural pattern in 4/4 (1st and 3rd beat accented). Again separate hand practice will be needed.

5.   After you successfully mastered all the above, then you must co-ordinate the several levels of rhythm/articulation/accents between both hands, since through the whole study the patterns are displaced in relation to each other. In other words, while all the rhythmic fun is on the quavers chords forming the accompaniment, the semiquaver figurations must be played as evenly and smoothly as possible.

As you can see, the musical challenges are far more trying than the simply technical ones. It is quite easy to play this study in a “Czerny” way, in fact it superficially resembles a Czerny study. It is when one tries to actually follow the performance directions that it becomes clear that this is not the usual run of the mill study. I particularly like the coda at the end. (I must say that his is not one of my favourites though).

I would break down this study in the following practice sessions (I am counting the first anacrusis bar as 1):

Session 1: Bars 1 – 5 (bars 1 – 3 form a practice loop, and bars 1- first half of bar 3 = second half of bar 3 – first half of bar 5)
Session 2: Bars 5 – 7
Session 3 – Bars 1 – 7
Session 4 – Bars 7 – 11 (4th part of bar 7 – bar 9 forms a practice loop, and is the same as 4th part of bar 9 – first 3/4ths of bar 11)
Session 5: Bars 1 – 11
Session 6:  Bars 11 – 13
Session 7: Bars 1 – 13
Session 8: Bars 13 – 16 (these bars are similar – but not the same – as bars 1- 3)
Session 9: Bars 1 – 16.
Session 10: Bars 16 – 18
Session 11 – Bars 1 – 18
Session 12 – Bars 18 – 20
Session 13 – Bars 1 – 20
Session 14 – Bars 20 – 24 (Bars 22 - 23 are the same as bars 21 – 22 one octave lower)
Session 15: Bars 1 – 24
Session 16: Bars 24 – 27
Session 17: Bars 1 – 27 (The whole piece).

So, you could learn the whole piece in 17 days, working on it 15-20 minutes a day.

[to be continued]

[bernhard]

[continued from the previous post]

Now let us have a look at the first three bars.



If you look at the right hand, I have enclosed in a rectangle the first figuration. They are descending thirds. You must practise them in isolation until the finger co-ordination becomes automatic. One important mental trick here is to think of this sequence as a descending one. Of course it descends a third and ascends a second, but if you start thinking in this way, soon your fingers will tie themselves in knots. So, think all the time descending and let the ascending second happen automatically. Another important pointer is not to do this by finger articulation (leaving the hand quiet and lifting the fingers high). Instead lift the fingers by forearm rotation (observe the distinction between double and single rotations and practice them slowly and with large movements until they become automatic, then acquire speed not by moving faster, but by moving smaller. At full speed the movement will be so small that the forearm rotation will be practically invisible)

The second basic semiquaver figuration is enclosed in a circle and follows the first one. It must also be practised separately and the co-ordination between fingers is far easier than the descending thirds.

Once you have mastered both of these, then you must put them together, as figuration 2 acts as a link for the successive descending thirds. As you can see, this passage is basically a practice loop since the last four semiquavers are the same as the first four.

Another important mental trick is to reorganise the groups of four semiquavers like so:



This immediately makes the descending nature of the figuration visually obvious, so the brain does not get stuck into the ascending phase (one of the major causes for inaccuracy and hesitations in passages of this nature).

Once you master the semiquaver figurations on the right hand on bars 1 – 5, move on to work on the left hand. This is much easier since there are no major co-ordination difficulties. The difficulties here are on three levels:

1.   Memorising the chords (use repeated note groups).

2.   Incorporating a movement that will lead naturally to the legato/staccato articulation.

3.   Getting the off beat pattern of stresses firmly established in both the mind and the movements, so that when you join hands it does not all go down the drain. This means lots of focused, conscientious repetition, knowing exactly the sound that you are after and the movements most likely to produce it with effortlessness.

Finally, join hands. I suggest that the best way to do that is through “dropping notes”. Play the right hand in its entirety, and than “drop “ the first pair of notes on the LH. One you can do that without one hand interfering with the movement/articulation/sound of the other, add the next pair of chords on the LH (you must use a pair of chords rather than a single chord to preserve the minimum unity of articulation/stress).

Work on practice session 1 for 20-30 minutes (this time should be enough to master it), but keep working at it everyday until it is truly mastered. As the days go, it will take less and less time to achieve the mastery stage, up to the day when you can just sit at the piano and play it perfectly first time round. Now it will be the time to tackle session 2 using the same approach.

[to be continued]

[bernhard]

[continued from previous post]

In session 1, we identified two semiquaver figurations (1 & 2) or motifs, if you prefer.

Now in session 2,  the semiquaver figuration consists entirely of motif 2 and is placed on the left hand.

The trick here is to disregard the bar lines and the semiquaver grouping, and regroup the semiquavers so that the visual ascending-descending pattern implicit in the original notation is perceived as a constantly descending pattern. If you cannot do that mentally, then just rewrite the passage so that this become obvious, like so:



The appropriate movement (a hand shift) then becomes obvious.

Now, all the semiquaver figurations in the left hand on this piece are the same (motif no. 2).

On the right hand there are other figurations besides the two we have already seen (e.g. bars 14 – 17). Also notice how motif 2 is notated in bars 18 – 19: as an ever ascending sequence – just like I suggest you think of it in the rest of the piece.

So just go through the remaining sections, following the same overall plan and remembering that the key to success is to think of this fast passages as always going in the same direction (even though in reality they zigzag), and planning your movements (mostly hand shifting and forearm rotation) so that the contraty movement happens automatically, and the feeling is unidirectional.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

I have just noticed in the previous reply that the fingerings on the lower staff must be shifted one note to the left.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[drooxy]

Hi Bernhard,

THANKS !

As usually, this is a very instructive response full of interesting tricks that I am going to try !

I really enjoy the technical aspects of that study... and I think I am making progress ! 

I also very recently started to work on the first bars of the second study.

I bought that CD of the Heller's studies:

https://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007Z9PZE/ref=pd_rhf_p_2/402-3084067-2586502

Very nice to listen to !

Tell me if you do not find it on a UK (?)  site !

Thanks again for your time and generosity, Bernhard !

All the best !
Drooxy

[bernhard]

Hi Bernhard,

THANKS !

As usually, this is a very instructive response full of interesting tricks that I am going to try !

I really enjoy the technical aspects of that study... and I think I am making progress ! 

I also very recently started to work on the first bars of the second study.

I bought that CD of the Heller's studies:

https://www.amazon.fr/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0007Z9PZE/ref=pd_rhf_p_2/402-3084067-2586502

Very nice to listen to !

Tell me if you do not find it on a UK (?)  site !

Thanks again for your time and generosity, Bernhard !

All the best !
Drooxy

You are most welcome.

And thank you for the CD reference, I have been looking for a Heller CD for quite a while now! I will try to get it heer, and if I cannot, I will get back to you.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[ptmidwest]

(Audience waits in hushed expectation.  The happy anticipation is downright tangible:  Bernhard is coming! We know it will be good!)

And while we wait...  I am missing a lot of my Heller music.  If any of you have it, please return it.  I would like to refer to a couple of opus  (opi?  opusses?).  Is there any site with Heller scores offered (not just L'Avalanche)?

Thank you.

[erak]

What's that Heller study CD like? That's my future teacher playing  .

[drooxy]

erak,

I would answer that I like it very much, but...

1. I did not know S. Heller before listening to that CD,
2. I have not heard S. Heller played by somebody else,
3. I am anyway unable to criticize (I would simply love to play the piano the way
    Jan Vermeulen does !)

But, good news !, it seems that Bernhard is ordering that CD...

(Audience waits in hushed expectation.  The happy anticipation is downright tangible:  Bernhard is coming! We know it will be good!)

... So I will let Bernhard answer your question ! 

All the best,
Drooxy

[erak]

hahaha, very well, thanks for replying so soon though  

[heller]

...
1.   32 preludes for Lily – op. 119 – If you are a total beginner, or just above this level, this collection is the place to start. I find it amazing that Heller could write music that is so effective with such limited means.

2.   Right after in degree of difficulty is “Flower, fruit and thorn pieces (Nuites Blanches) op. 82. These are really songs without words, and there are 18 little gems in the collection. A curious fact is that these pieces were inspired by the writings of Jean Paul Richter (who also inspired Schumann).
...
Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Dear Bernhard,

I am reviving a very old thread... I am intrigued by the Preludes for Lili, Op. 119 by Heller which you claim are excellent pieces for beginners. Could you please elaborate upon this?

What is the underlying story (I have never read Goethe) and what (if at all) do the 32 preludes represent (at least according to you)?

At the cost of sounding greedy, how do you "imagine" or "understand" the Op. 82 pieces?

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Best Regards,
Heller

[menancyandsam]

I'll second Heller's request.  I find his op. 119 & op. 82 to be enchanting pieces of music.  I like op. 82 much better in that its seems more developed & richer sounding.  Here's a thread which offers the sheetmusic & recordings to these & many more https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,19285.0.html.

My favorites of op. 119 are nos. 4,15,16,25 & 28.  I like all of op. 82 but especially like nos.  11,13,15 & 17.  Anybody know the approx. grades of these pieces.

[menancyandsam]

Friendly bump.   Does anybody like to comment on the last few post?

[landru]

Friendly bump.   Does anybody like to comment on the last few post?

Well, I checked out op. 119 (Preludes for Lili) from the library and I don't know what "beginner" Bernhard had in mind for most of these preludes. I am at Level 5 for a lot of things and they are at that level or just beyond. I just wanted to chime in that when one says "beginner" pieces, one doesn't expect to see these pieces! Anna Magdelena notebook, yes - these pieces, umm no.

That being said, I've only done the first prelude and I like it quite a bit. I showed my piano teacher the book and we both agreed that the first one seems to have been written by a totally different composer than the one who did the rest of the preludes in the opus!

[menancyandsam]

Here's is a reference to Goethe's "Lili"
https://books.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,3974526-99819,00.html

Landru have you tried any others from op. 119, I like quite a few.  I've attached some of my fav's from op. 119. 

[menancyandsam]

For those of you who may want more info on Heller's Op. 45, I came across this link to a doctoral dissertations titled "A Pedagogical guide to the 25 Etudes melodiques Opus 45 of Stephen Heller" pp 183. here is the link https://il.proquest.com/products_umi/dissertations/disexpress.shtml.  Once there go through a couple of screens until you get to the search menu.  Then, type in 3009547 under order number to get the above dissertation.  Or type Heller (or anything else you might be interested in) to get a list of available matterial.

The cost is $41.00 or ($29 if you get your librarian to order it) per dissertations.

I've ordered a different one titled "The Life and Music of Stephen Heller".  If anybody is interested let me know & I'll scan & upload it once it comes.  Oh , and if anybody acquires the op. 45 dissertation perhaps they would be so kind to share it with us.