Selected Works for Piano by Czerny (Book 1)

Author: (Austrian) Carl Czerny
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-03-01
Features: The piano teaching system in our country places a relatively strong emphasis on finger technique training. This characteristic has been recognized abroad, which is related to our frequent use of etudes in teaching. However, while conducting technical training, we must not fall into the dead end of pure technique. We must not forget that training technique is for better musical expression, the beauty of sound, and the singing quality of melodies, as well as the flexibility of the fingers are equally important. Selected Etudes for Piano by Carl Czerny and Basic Training Handbook for Young Piano Pupils provide piano teachers with more abundant teaching materials for individualized instruction. However, how to apply these materials still depends on the creativity of piano teachers.
During technical training, although repetition is necessary, correct and scientific playing methods are more important. Otherwise, technical training may go astray. The author has selected 187 intermediate-level etudes, 152 basic training etudes, and 18 intensive exercises from over 1,000 etudes in Czerny’s other 14 collections of etudes. These have been compiled into Selected Etudes for Piano and Basic Training Handbook for Young Piano Pupils, with key points for each etude noted to supplement the current Czerny piano etude teaching materials in use. The two collections of intermediate-level etudes are arranged in order based on teaching levels, and teachers should adjust them appropriately according to the actual conditions of their students in line with the principle of individualized instruction. Many of the pieces are designed for specific topics such as double notes, chords, compound rhythms, left-hand techniques, and singing-style playing. To cultivate students’ singing-style playing ability, this collection particularly emphasizes selecting etudes with beautiful melodies and high artistic quality, mainly sourced from Op. 823, Op. 748, and Op. 750, which were composed using European folk tunes and characteristic melodies of famous composers.
Basic Training Handbook for Young Piano Pupils is intended for students at the intermediate level. These pieces, referred to as "exercises," belong to single piano technical materials, or "piano vocabulary." Czerny has many collections of "exercises," and this handbook primarily selects from Op. 261, Op. 821, Op. 337, and Op. 365. These exercises possess certain musical expressive characteristics, differing from mechanical finger exercises like those in Hanon or Schmitt.