An Examination of Johann Baptist Cramer's OP.100 Etude Book Used in Piano Education

Abstract

This study examines Johann Baptist Cramer's Op. 100 (Daily Studies), an etude book used in piano education by the German-born British pianist and composer. Using a descriptive research model from qualitative research methods, data was collected through document analysis. The collected data was analyzed using content analysis. A review of the literature revealed that although Johann Baptist Cramer's piano etudes are included in the piano education curricula of professional music education institutions, no previous studies on them were found. Therefore, it was decided to examine Johann Baptist Cramer's Op. 100 (Daily Studies) etude book. The 100 etudes in the book were analyzed in terms of time signatures, tempo terms, tonalities, right-hand techniques, left-hand techniques, and musical expressions. The results of the analysis were presented as frequencies and percentages. The findings show that the etudes are most often written in 4/4 time signature, the moderato tempo term is most frequently used, and they are most often written in C major. In terms of right and left-hand techniques, it was determined that hand position changes and legato techniques were used most frequently. When examined in terms of musical expression, a total of 29 different musical expressions were found to be used. This indicates that the etudes are rich in musicality and contain diverse types of musical expressions. It was determined that Cramer's etudes, in addition to studies aimed at developing technical skills, also emphasize musical behavior and aim to give students a musical identity.