Ravina, Jean-Henri : Douze études de style et de perfectionneme Op.14
Work Overview
First Publisher：Mme Cendrier
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：etude
Total Playing Time：32 min 00 sec
Copyright：Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Ueda, Yasushi
Last Updated: May 18, 2011
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Author : Ueda, Yasushi
The third collection among Ravina's three sets of etudes (Op. 1, 3, and 14) published in the first half of the century. Entering the 1840s, the genre of etudes began to emphasize not only technical difficulties such as thirds and octaves, but also how to express lyrical melodic phrasing and subtle dynamic changes. Indeed, this collection meticulously includes numerous dynamic markings in addition to Italian terms of musical expression. The title "Études de Style et de Perfectionnement" (Studies of Style and Improvement) was likely first used byF. Kalkbrenner, a senior colleague at the Conservatoire, in hisOp. 143. Judging from the content of the collection, this title was intended to develop the ability to differentiate various musical genres such as ballet, romance, and march according to their respective styles, and to improve the techniques specific to each style. For convenience of explanation, the styles of each piece in Ravina's collection are presented in the following table.
1 | Ballet | 7 | Fanfare, Quick March |
2 | Song (Romance) | 8 | Song (Romance) |
3 | Ballet | 9 | Waltz |
4 | Song (Opera Aria) | 10 | Caprice |
5 | Song (Chansonnette) | 11 | Song (Opera Aria) |
6 | Instrumental (Piano/String-specific movements) | 12 | March |
"Ballet" pieces are characterized by leaping staccato movements, while "Song" pieces employ various melodic and accompaniment patterns, requiring delicate differentiation between parts. The seventh piece is a Rossini-esque overture, reminiscent of the William Tell Overture, which Ravina arranged and became familiar with in his youth. According to Marmontel's recollections, Rossini was impressed by the young pianist's talent and often had Ravina perform his own piano miniatures. Ravina later dedicated his outstanding Prière – Poésie musicale (Prayer – Musical Poem), Op. 51, to "my illustrious friend, Gioachino Rossini." Records show that he performed his own etudes in public from the 1840s to the early 1850s, and it is likely that several pieces from this collection were among them. Furthermore, this collection of etudes, like the preceding major work, 12 Études de Concert (12 Concert Etudes), Op. 1, was adopted as teaching material at the Paris Conservatoire.
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