Elementary Studies

Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy (1800–1880 Paris) was a French pianist, composer and professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Paris. His overall oeuvre comprises more than 300 works. He is known particulary for his studies which include 'Ècole primaire' (25 studies for elementary instruction). These studies were written for beginner's lessons on the piano, consisting of a simple structure. They are supposed to train primarily the dexterity and independence of the fingers. But the special appeal of this collection lies, due to the cantabile character of the individual pieces, in the musical texture of these wonderful and expressive melodies. Their focus is on the experience of sound which is why these studies are very popular in lessons and perfectly suitable as performance pieces.