I
cannot recall having heard it since Annette Essipowa gave that
famous recital during which she played the entire twenty-seven
studies. Yet it is a sonorous piano piece, rich in embroideries
and general decorative effect in the middle section. Perhaps the
rather perverse, capricious and not altogether amiable character
of the beginning has caused pianists to be wary of introducing it
at a recital. It is hugely effective and also difficult,
especially if played with the same fingering throughout, as Von
Bulow suggests. Niecks quotes Stephen Heller's partiality for
this very study. In the "Gazette Musicale," February 24, 1839,
Heller wrote of Chopin's op. 25:
What more do we require to pass one or several evenings in as
perfect a happiness as possible? As for me, I seek in this
collection of poesy--this is the only name appropriate to the
works of Chopin--some favorite pieces which I might fix in my
memory, rather than others. Who could retain everything? For
this reason I have in my notebook quite particularly marked
the numbers four, five and seven of the present poems.
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