Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller, generally known as Friedrich Burgmüller (born Regensburg, Germany 4 December 1806 – died 13 February 1874) was a German pianist and composer.
He was born in Ratisbon (now Regensburg) Germany. Both his father, August, and his brother, Norbert, were musicians. His father was a musical theatre director in Weimar and other Southern German centers.
He moved to Kassel in 1829 to study under Ludwig Spohr and Moritz Hauptmann, There he appeared as a pianist for his first concert, January 14, 1830.
Friedrich moved to Paris in 1832 (at age 26), where he stayed until his death. There, he adopted Parisian music and developed his trademark (light) style of playing. He wrote many pieces of salon music for the piano and published several albums. Burgmüller also went on to compose piano études intended for children.
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L’Orage is beautiful, but has its corny moments. Burgmuller may have realized he was into a tad of satire, given the warhorses of the time. Just the same it’s a “fun” piece worth the journey.
Fingering is pivotal, especially in transitions (first and second endings) And surprises (the unexpected) should be underscored. Keep a flexible wrist and use big energies beyond the fingers.
While “The Storm” appears on the surface to be a daredevil piece, by breaking it down into component parts, blocking or chunking, and noticing common tones, it becomes within reach. (Never fear a fast tempo, if you’re ultra-prepared in slow motion)