La Candeur, Op. 100 No. 1
La Candeur (Candour), the first of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is a Beginner piece (Octotune grade 4 of 8) in C major and 4/4: a study in smooth, singing legato, with flowing eighth notes over held chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Beginner: grade 4 of 8 |
| Key | C major (no sharps or flats) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 152 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 23 bars, about 36 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | E4 to C6 |
| Left hand | B2 to G♯4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| La Candeur, Opus 100 | 4 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
La Candeur ("Candour", or "Frankness") opens Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, one of the most loved books of early-intermediate piano music. Each study is a little character piece; this one is simple, open and singing.
What it teaches: legato. The right hand plays a flowing line of eighth notes, smoothly connected, over held chords in the left. For a few bars in the middle, the left hand takes up the flowing eighths too. Every note should join to the next with no gaps and no bumps.
The tricky parts
- An even legato in eighth notes at a moving tempo. Listen for any note that sticks out.
- The left hand's eighths in the middle: they need the same smoothness as the right hand's.
- Holding the chords in the accompanying hand for their full length while the other hand moves.
- Shaping. Let each phrase rise and fall; Burgmüller marks swells and fades.
Practice plan
- Hands separately, slowly, listening to the joins between notes.
- Hands together at 60% speed, with the A–B loop on any bar that bumps.
- Bring the speed up only as fast as the legato stays smooth.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9. The right hand climbs to high C, two ledger lines above the staff.
Next in the book: L'Arabesque, No. 2, is quicker and more playful.
Questions
Is La Candeur easy?
It is one of the first pieces in Burgmüller's famous study book and a Beginner piece in Octotune (grade 4 of 8). The notes are simple; the skill is a smooth, even legato.
What order should Burgmüller's Op. 100 be learned in?
Roughly in book order at first: La Candeur and L'Arabesque come first. Octotune's grading puts La Candeur and Progrès among the easiest of those in its library, and the Ballade among the hardest.
Credits and licence
- Music: Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874)
- Typeset by Bas Wassink for the Mutopia Project
- Licence: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece