This week’s song has been chosen and introduced by Director of Music, Miss Vickery.

The set of ‘Three New Studies’ (op.26) by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849), of which this is the second, is incorrectly labelled ‘posthumous’ (published after the composer’s death) but was actually written in 1839.  Chopin was a composer of largely piano music and also a virtuous pianist who gave performances of his music, much of which is very challenging to play.  This set comprises slightly easier pieces; all three were included in a didactic collection for piano students.

This is a particularly charming piece – all studies concentrate on a technical area to improve upon and this piece seems to be a practice for playing a 2 and against 3 beat cross-rhythm.

If you liked this one, then you might like this rather brilliant study in F# major – known as the ‘black key study’ (all the notes are on the black keys of the piano – the notes in the scale of F# major include all the black keys.

Click here to listen to Study in Ab Major and here for Study in F#.