Most modern metronomes are electronic, with a quartz crystal to maintain accuracy like
those used in wristwatches. The simplest electronic metronomes have a dial or buttons to
control the tempo. Some can also produce a tuning note, usually A 440 hertz.
Composers’ metronome markings may be viewed with caution as they tend to be too fast.
Metronome markings by Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms are cases in point as evidenced
by Beethoven’s markings in his Piano Sonata in B flat major opus 106 ‘Hammerklavier’,
Chopin’s markings in some of his Etudes opus 10, and Brahms’s marking in the slow
movement of his Piano Concerto in B flat major opus 83. Liszt never indicated
metronome markings in his music.
A metronome marking may represent a theoretical tempo in the composer’s mind. It may
in other cases represent the maximum possible tempo playable by a virtuoso pianist
bearing in mind that the pianos of the time of Chopin and Liszt had a lighter action than
the modern-day grand pianos. Chopin’s markings for the slow outer sections of his étude
in E major opus 10 no. 3 ‘Tristesse’ and his étude opus 10 no.6 in E flat minor are,
however, also on the fast side.
MIDDLE C
The location of middle C is the first task of a person starting to learn the piano. It is the
white note immediately to the left of the two black notes closest to the middle of the
piano. The exact middle of the keyboard is not middle C but is actually the space
between E and F above middle C.
MIKULI
Life
Karol (Carl) Mikuli (1819-1897) was a pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. He was
a pupil of Chopin and later became Chopin’s teaching assistant. He is best known as an
editor of Chopin’s piano works. His pupils included Moriz Rosenthal, Raoul Koczalski,
Aleksander Michalowski, Jaroslaw Zieli'ski and Kornelia Parnas. His Chopin editions
were first published by F. Kistner in 1879 and Dover publications currently publishes
reprints of these editions. They were first published in America by Schirmer in 1895.
Mikuli’s aim, as stated in the foreword to his edition, was to provide more reliable
editions of Chopin’s works. He used several verified sources, most of which were
written or corrected by Chopin himself. Mikuli took detailed notes of Chopin’s
comments made in lessons and also interviewed people who had heard Chopin play.is
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Mikuli & Chopin
‘While Chopin the composer is now respected and honoured by all true friends of art and
connoisseurs, Chopin the pianist has remained almost unknown; what is worse, an