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Czerny Op 740 #46, 2 Versions

Several things recommend #46. There’s the division of labor between hands and the regularity of phrases and structure. It’s also attractive as big “symphonic” music on the piano. For me the chief technical difficulty is the necessity of fingering the 16th note patterns with 2-1 (constantly playing “over the thumb”); with practice I can get to the half @75 (Czerny asks for the half @96). And, finally, I find it easier than it’s Book 2 brother, #15.

Op 740 #46 1st Version: Grands Battements, 16 sets of 8

Op 740 #46 1st Version Audio

This is my performance of #46 in the tempo and spirit of Grands Battements in 2. I’m using all of Czerny’s material (except his extra four measures at the end) to create a ternary + coda piece. It’s more music than you’ll likely need at the barre, but it will serve a centre practice exercise with continuous lines moving forward. Something else to keep in mind: the half @75 is rather fast for grands battements--more “advanced” than “beginning” or “intermediate”--but you don’t want to go much slower; the bravura gets flabby. A couple of details: Czerny’s initial 4-bar declamatory melody has a relaxed finish of half-note followed by short eighth; in keeping with the character I’m trying to project I’ve changed his finish to short eighth followed by short eighth, a snappy end he seems intentionally to have avoided. And in the melody lines I double at the 8va most of his eighths.

Following one or another usual recipe you can readily get a useful triple meter piece out of #46.


Op 740 #46 2nd Version: Ronds de Jamb en l’Air, 8 sets of 8

Op 740 #46 2nd Version Audio

This is my performance of my 1st version reshaped into a 3/4, for which I supply a score. I found it interesting to create a 3/4 piece by dropping a beat from each measure. In addition, dispensing with grandeur and bravura, I changed the character of Czerny’s dramatic declamation to one of gentle lightness by slowing the tempo, adding dottings and avoiding octaves. It makes good Ronds de Jamb en l’Air music, and maybe even a Pointe Variation.

Op 740 #46 2nd Version Score


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