Kreutzer Étude n.32 in E flat
version 0.7
Introduction
This belongs to the hardest category of Kreutzer studies ; double stop studies. ( The other 2 categories are Simple Notes ( non-double stops) and Trill studies ). It is an advanced study which appears to deal with left hand development, but also deals with the right hand and all the subtleties involved in keeping an even "dolce" tone right through each bar. If you consider the playing of 2 strings, the crossing of strings & the change of point of contact involved in order to maintain the same timbre... one realizes that it is as much a study for the right hand as for the left. Surely, the left must be mastered first, but once preliminary left hand preparation is in place, and intonation secured the remainder is all right hand technique.
With regard left hand, we can immediately see that a major concept in good left
hand technique is keeping the fingers down. We can see from bar 6 how Kreutzer
trains us to keep our first finger down.. such a common technique which, the
sooner one gets used to, the sooner good technique can really take off. It also
ensures the correct layout of our finger pattern and hand pattern by securing
the octave frame between 1st and 4th fingers. Thus we also develop a good
compact and composed placement of the hand. The very first bar ensures we
optimize the closeness on the hand and fingers to the fingerboard. Keeping the
left hand adhered to the fingerboard is paramount, as in the first bar we have a
fair stretch between E natural with a 4th finger and F natural with a 1st on the
E string. Not only is it a fair stretch, but we have to avoid touching the E
string with our 4th finger on the A. It might be wise to bring the thumb forward
in order to strengthen the 4th finger. The actual stretch should involve a
stretch down of the 1st finger from the 2nd as much as a stretch up of the 4th
finger. All the time, while the student struggles to accommodate his/her fingers
to play these very first notes, he/she should not forget to bow with the very
sweetest touch of bow hair to string - for any note, however in tune, will
become ugly as soon as any roughness of tone creeps in.
In bar 1, don't forget the auxiliary notes ( F natural and C natural with the first finger on the D and A strings in second position ) as a useful means of ensuring you are well placed in second position. In practice, I would aim for the C natural auxiliary note ( B flat to C on the A string with the first finger ). The F natural on the D will then be secured thanks to the C on the A string.
Bow with an even tone
As for the right hand, let's just concentrate on the point of contact. Now in order to achieve the same tone or sound throughout the bar, the point of contact between bow and strings must move from away from bridge to much nearer to the bridge when passing from the A&E strings to the D&A strings. There are 2 clear reasons for this ; the strings are shorter on the D&A as they are being stopped in second position with 3rd and 4th fingers.. also the D&A strings have a darker tone than the A&E strings, therefore need a "brighter" point of contact nearer the bridge in order to match the previous tone of the A&E strings. It is very important to sense the need of a change in point of contact, as otherwise the tone or sound will change half way through the bar, so that all listeners will be quite aware that the player has changed strings. The change of string, needless to say, should be gradual and imperceptible.
General left and right hand advice
Now, I strongly advise a mezzo piano, or piano tone to be maintained right through this study. This will also encourage the left hand itself to behave in a soft, flexible and supple manner. Double stops are in themselves very taxing for the left hand, but if one can aim towards a relaxed and supple hand during double stops ( check the thumb for tension often ) then much will have been gained in terms of left hand flexibility. Rest the left hand for a moment if a certain amount of tension starts to build up. The tone should be even throughout any given bar. The player should be aware of bow speed ; this will change if point of contact changes, but as a general rule, an even bow speed will achieve an evenly sustained tone ; and that is for sure what this study is all about. Vibrato must be unobtrusive at all times ; studying without vibrato can be very useful for the search of purity in intonation, but ultimately, a small and controlled vibrato will add liveliness and give a certain "nerve" to the tone.
Bowing distribution
As for bowing in general, I would advise starting studies with
two bows per bar as in the following bar :
Once
a certain familiarity has been gained, then one bow per bar can be used, taking
care to distribute the bow evenly ; i.e. half way through the bar, or at the
start of the 5th quaver, one should be exactly in the middle of the bow. This
stresses the importance, once more, of having an even sweet and gently sustained
tone, for this study looks as if it is all to do with the left hand, yet that is
only the beginning ; the majority of work lies with tone production, the right
hand, and playing those notes with a beautiful singing line. Kreutzer no doubt
bows the above bar two to a bow to give it more breadth and volume. However the
majority of bars are to be played piano or mezzo piano, with possibly a slightly
titled bow, so that the outside edge of the bow hairs contact the string. Be
careful not to make a permanent habit of this titled "piano" bow technique.. for
it should be used quite consciously and never exaggerated.