Étude, Op. 25 No. 9 (“Butterfly”)
Recordings
Historical and comparison recordings, outside the concert’s running order.
- Étude in G♭ major, Op. 25 No. 9 (“Butterfly”)Eugen d’Albert, piano · 1912–131:41
Eugen d’Albert, a pupil of Liszt, plays Chopin’s Étude in G♭ major, Op. 25 No. 9, the Butterfly, in an Odeon recording made in 1912–13. The étude is written in short slurs and detached octaves. D’Albert plays bars 1–36 twice before the reprise, a repeat that the printed score does not have.
Listening notes
- Right-hand figure and left-hand leaps
The right hand’s four-note groups mix short slurs with detached notes and octaves. The left hand leaps between bass notes and chords. Chopin keeps this figure throughout the étude, moving it to other keys and registers.
- Training and operas
D’Albert was born in Glasgow in 1864, far from the German concert halls that later made his name. He studied in London with teachers including Arthur Sullivan, then went to Liszt. Alongside his career at the piano he wrote operas; Tiefland reached the stage in 1903.
- Odeon disc 76563
Odeon issued Butterfly with Chopin’s F minor étude, Op. 25 No. 2, under catalogue number 76563. Both pieces share one recording matrix. This short G♭ major study is the second half of the original disc side.
- Étude in G♭ major, Op. 25 No. 9 (“Butterfly”)Edward Neeman, piano · c. 20141:09
Chopin’s Étude in G♭ major, Op. 25 No. 9, known as the Butterfly, is a quick study built on groups of four notes, a leap followed by two short octaves. Edward Neeman plays it in this recording for Musopen.
Listening notes
- Right-hand figuration, opening bars
Each beat has four semiquavers. The first two are slurred and the next two are detached octaves, while the left hand leaps from a single bass note to a chord. Chopin marks the passage leggiero.
- Edward Neeman, ballet pianist
Edward Neeman has also worked as a ballet pianist. In 2014 he accompanied American Ballet Theatre on its Japanese tour. He also plays in the Neeman Piano Duo with his wife, Stephanie.