The Alfred Cortot Study Edition Of Chopin’s Etudes & How The Alexander Technique Can Facilitate Progress Towards Performance Through His Suggested Exercises

THE ALFRED CORTOT STUDY EDITION OF CHOPIN’S ETUDES & HOW THE ALEXANDER
TECHNIQUE CAN FACILITATE PROGRESS TOWARDS PERFORMANCE
THROUGH HIS SUGGESTED EXERCISES

A Monograph
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Musical Arts

In
The School of Musicby
Li-Fang Wu
B.M., Taipei Municipal Teachers College, Taiwan, 2001
M.M., Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2005
December, 2010

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
There were many people to whom I deeply thank for their assistance and support in completing this
dissertation. I would like to gratefully acknowledge my supervisor, Professor Gregory Sioles, and my
committee members, Dr. Willis Delony,Professor Michael Gurt and Professor Jan Grimes for their useful
suggestions and comments regarding the content of this paper. Special thanks to Professor Patricia O’Neill, a
certified Alexander Technique teacher and also a great musician, who gave me wonderful Alexander lessons
and shared her experience about the Technique in support of my research topic.

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TABLE OF CONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………………………………………………………ii
LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………………………iv
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………………………………...vi
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………………………...1
CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND INFORMATION OF ALFRED CORTOT AND
HIS STUDY EDITION OF CHOPIN ETUDES…………………………………………...4
CHAPTER TWO: F. MATTHIAS ALEXANDER AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE………………13
CHAPTER THREE:APPLICATION OF ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IN
CORTOT’S STUDY EDITION OF CHOPIN’S OP. 10 SET………………………….28
CHAPTER FOUR: APPLICATION OF ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE IN
CORTOT’S STUDY EDITION OF CHOPIN’S OP. 25 SET………………………….60
CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………………….88
BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………………………….91
VITA…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..94

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 3-1Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 1, ed. Cortot, p. 7……………………………...31

Figure 3-2

Excerpt from Conable, What Every Musician Needs to Know about the Body, p. 50…………...34

Figure 3-3

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 2, ed. Cortot, p. 15……………………………...35

Figure 3-4

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 3, ed. Cortot, p. 20…………………………….36

Figure 3-5

Excerptsfrom Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 4, ed. Cortot, p. 26…………………………….38

Figure 3-6

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 5, ed. Cortot, p. 33…………………………….41

Figure 3-7

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 6, ed. Cortot, p. 40……………………………...44

Figure 3-8

Excerpt of Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 7, bar 1…………………………………………….45

Figure 3-9

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies,Op. 10 no 7, ed. Cortot, p. 46……………………………...47

Figure 3-10

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 8, ed. Cortot, p. 52-53………………………… 48

Figure 3-11 Excerpt of Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 9, bar 1…………………………………………….50
Figure 3-12

Excerpt of Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 10, bar 1…………………………………………...52

Figure 3-13

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 11, ed. Cortot, p.73…………………………….54

Figure 3-14

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 10 no 12, ed. Cortot, p. 81…………………………...57

Figure 4-1

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 1, ed. Cortot, p. 7 and 9………………………..61

Figure 4-2

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 2, ed. Cortot, p. 13…………………………….63

Figure 4-3

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 3, ed. Cortot, p.20……………………………...65

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Figure 4-4

Excerpt from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 3, ed. Cortot, p. 21……………………………...65

Figure 4-5

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 5, ed. Cortot, p. 32-33…………………………69

Figure 4-6

Excerpts from Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 6, ed. Cortot, p. 41…………………………….72

Figure 4-7

Excerpt of Chopin, 12 Studies, Op. 25 no 9, bar 1…………………………………………….78...