L'art de phraser Op.16 - Heller, Stephen - PTNA Piano Music Encyclopedia

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Heller, Stephen : L'art de phraser Op.16

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Work Overview

Music ID : 7344

Publication Year：1839
First Publisher：Schlesinger
Dedicated to：Mademoiselle Frédérique Rist
Instrumentation：Piano Solo　
Genre：etude
Copyright：Public Domain
Additional Notes：※ 『ステファン・ヘラーピアノ曲集 I』（カワイ出版、2014）より出版社の許可を得て転載。カワイ出版ONLINE:http://editionkawai.shop16.makeshop.jp/shopdetail/000000006072/

Commentary (1)

Author : Ueda, Yasushi

Last Updated: November 20, 2014

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Note: This article is automatically translated from the original Japanese text. The author of the original work did not supervise this translation.

The above list of pieces is based on the 4th edition (Paris, Lemoine, 1859).

This work, published the year after Heller's arrival in Paris, was his breakthrough piece. The first edition by Schlesinger in Paris was simply titled 24 Études in All Minor Keys, but the German Schlesinger edition, published in 1843 with 18 selected pieces (only one new piece inserted), was given the new title L'Art du Phraser – Pièces de Salon, Études Mélodiques. The fact that it went through four editions by 1859 indicates a continuous demand for these études. The 4th edition shows signs of piece substitutions and revisions. The 4th edition, likely the last published during Heller's lifetime, is thought to reflect Heller's more definitive intentions regarding the title, piece order, and so on.

No. 3 "Canzonetta" – Allegretto con moto

"Canzonetta" (It.) means "little song." At that time, it was characterized by a smaller scale and a lively nature, in contrast to "Canzone" (It.) or "Romance" (Fr.), which featured sentimental and serious lyrics and melodies.

The right hand plays both the melody and accompaniment simultaneously. By making the melody stand out well, keeping the accompaniment simple and staccato as if plucking a guitar, and ensuring the left hand plays a light pp, the piece will acquire a character befitting its title.

No. 15 "Album Leaf" – Poco lento

In Heller's time, it was customary in high society for artists to write poems, musical pieces, or drawings in a single notebook and dedicate them to specific individuals as mementos. "Album Leaf" refers to a single page from such an album. In the French first edition of 1839, there was no two-measure introduction at the beginning, and the piece concluded with a cadential phrase formed in measures 26-27. However, in the 4th edition, the theme returns thereafter, and a coda is added. The key is to be aware of the difference in timbre between the foreground and background, so that the leisurely, lyrical melody seems to float above the understated, harp-like accompaniment.

Writer: Ueda, Yasushi