La Petite Réunion, Op. 100 No. 4
La Petite Réunion (The Little Gathering), No. 4 of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is a lively study in C major and 4/4, Octotune grade 5 of 8: quick scales in thirds, two notes at a time, in the right hand.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 152 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 30 measures, about 47 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | B3 to E6 |
| Left hand | C3 to G♯4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| La Petite Réunion, Op. 100 No. 4 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
La Petite Réunion, "The Little Gathering", is No. 4 of Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100. It is cheerful and busy, in C major, and lasts under a minute.
How it is built. The left hand begins alone, with a short figure rising from G. Then the right hand answers with a C major scale in thirds, two notes at a time, falling in quick eighth notes from the top of the staff: D and F, C and E, B and D, and on down. The whole piece is built on this: the right hand in thirds, sometimes wider, over a simple left hand, like friends chattering in pairs.
The tricky parts
- Thirds together. Both notes of every pair must sound at exactly the same moment. Listen for the one that comes late.
- Fingering. Thirds take a fixed pattern of paired fingers (1 and 3, 2 and 4, 3 and 5). Choose a fingering and keep it every time.
- Speed. Octotune starts it briskly. Begin slowly; evenness comes before speed.
- Leaps. The right hand jumps back up after each falling run. Look ahead.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, which waits for both notes of each third.
- Play along with the right hand at 50% speed, raising it a little at a time.
- Both hands together, with Loop this measure where the thirds come unstuck.
Also in the book: La Candeur, No. 1.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9. A couple of high notes and accidentals go beyond it.
Questions
Is La Petite Réunion hard?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8. It is a study in thirds: the right hand plays two notes at once in quick eighths, which must sound exactly together.
Credits and license
- Music: Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874)
- Typeset by Bas Wassink for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece