Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner The fanciful nicknames for Chopin etudes

According to this playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_NUYmjdb-G9UWQobrr8M7k80T7gFEvWv

Op. 10/1 "Waterfall"
Op. 10/2 "Chromatique"
Op. 10/3 "Tristesse"
Op. 10/4 "Torrent"
Op. 10/5 "Black keys"
Op. 10/6 "Lament"
Op. 10/7 "Toccata"
Op. 10/8 "Sunshine"
Op. 10/9
Op. 10/10
Op. 10/11 "Arpeggio"
Op. 10/12 "Revolutionary"
Op. 25/1 "Harp Study"
Op. 25/2 "The Bees"
Op. 25/3 "The Horseman"
Op. 25/4 "Paganini"
Op. 25/5 "Wrong Note"
Op. 25/6 "Thirds"
Op. 25/7 "Cello"
Op. 25/8 "Sixths"
Op. 25/9 "Butterfly Wings"
Op. 25/10 "Octave"
Op. 25/11 "Winter Wind"
Op. 25/12 "Ocean"

I guess the Nouvelles Etudes are ostracized too (for better or worse).

There can only be one twosome worthy of such elevated status.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum.

It must be an Anglo-saxon thing, because apart from a few like the farewell or revolutionary, none of the others are frequently used in other countries.

Just because all of these nicknames are listed in a YouTube channel doesn’t mean they are commonly used.

Incidentally, Op.25/1 is the Aeolian Harp, but I guess Anglo-Saxons can't pronounce "Aeolian", not to mention don't know what it means.......

And it is one of only two Chopin études whose nickname is valid, because Schumann named it thus.

I guess Thirds, Sixth, Octaves are not really fanciful but The Bees, Sunshine, The Horseman? Oh my!

Aeolian harp was a boxed musical instrument: strings and soundboard. Placed in window to be played by the wind

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeolian_harp

I think the following names are common:

Waterfall, Chromatic, Tristesse, Black Key, Revolutionary, Aeolian Harp, Thirds, Sixths, Octave, Butterfly, and Winter Wind.

If someone used one of those names before I read this thread, I would have known correctly which Etude was being referenced. Generally, I have not previously heard the other nicknames, maybe Torrent once or twice.

Actually this is the first time I've heard of 'Waterfall' (do waterfalls go up and down like that? )

I think Wrong Note and Ocean are also common.

"Ocean" ought to be called "Surrender, or else!"

Maybe "... or else I'll write another 10 etudes! Mwa ha ha ha!"

Nickname-less notwithstanding, I find Op. 10 no. 9 to be one of the more poetic ones, don't you? Rather than a 'character piece' (that is, if Chopin at all had that in mind with the other etudes), it feels like with this one there is a narrative, there is something unfolding. The ending to me has a Scarbo-like quality of something vanishing into thin air (a sprite?)

The only nickname I had ever heard before I came the the US was Revolutionary and use of it was frowned upon because it's not Chopin's, just like all the others. I find all of the names extremely irritating and hate them with an intensity I cannot explain.

Arthur Friedheim called the op.10/1 etude:'Runaway Chorale', quite original and to the point.

and in the old not so political correct days in France, op.10/2 used to be called:'La négresse', I don't agree, but there you have it.

Ditto!

Cheers!

The first time I heard any of these names (except the Revolutionary) was when I came here to PW. I still don't know which one people are talking about most of the time. Irritating? Definitely.

The majority of these names are either obvious or lame (i.e., uninspiring, dull and unoriginal).

I don't understand this hate. The purpose of the names is for communication. I don't necessarily remember the opus numbers by heart but if someone mentions the Winter Wind Etude I know immediately which one they are talking about. At least the common nicknames are totally fine by me.