L'Adieu, Op. 100 No. 12
L'Adieu (The Farewell), No. 12 of Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100, is an intermediate piece in A minor and 4/4, Octotune grade 6 of 8: a sad, urgent farewell, the right hand running in triplets.
At a glance
| Composer | Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller (1806–1874) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 6 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: no sharps or flats |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 184 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 41 measures, about 53 seconds |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to A6 |
| Left hand | A2 to A4 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| L'Adieu, Op. 100 No. 12 | 6 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
L'Adieu, "The Farewell", is No. 12 of Friedrich Burgmüller's 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100: a parting, sad and urgent. It is in A minor (no key signature) and 4/4.
How it is built. It starts on a pick-up, E F E, and a tune that sighs downward. Soon the right hand breaks into running triplets, three notes to every beat, turning and climbing, while the left hand plays repeated notes and chords beneath. The runs grow and climb high above the staff, then settle back.
The tricky parts
- Even triplets for many measures at a time. Count "1-trip-let 2-trip-let" and keep every note the same.
- G sharp. A minor's leading note is everywhere, and D sharps and others come too.
- High notes. The runs climb above high C. Read up from the ledger lines.
- Octotune starts it quickly. Begin at half speed or slower.
Practice plan
- Right hand alone in Wait for me, a phrase at a time, with a fixed fingering.
- Play along with the right hand at 40–50% speed, using Loop this measure on any run that stumbles.
- Both hands, then raise the speed only as far as the triplets stay even.
Also in the book: Arabesque, No. 2, another study in A minor.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 9. The G sharps, the other accidentals and the highest notes go beyond it.
Questions
Is Burgmüller's L'Adieu hard?
It is an intermediate piece, Octotune grade 6 of 8. Its right hand runs in quick triplets for long stretches, and A minor brings many G sharps and other accidentals.
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