12 Characteristic Studies, Op. 95

Twelve Études caractéristiques, Op. 95, composed 1836. Ten years after Op. 70, Moscheles returned to the étude with a more explicitly programmatic set: each of the twelve studies carries a descriptive subtitle evoking a mood, character, or extramusical scene. More Romantic in conception than Op. 70 — reflecting a decade of Schumannesque influence and the general shift toward descriptive piano music — they combine genuine technical demands with a more overtly expressive and pictorial character. Compared with Op. 70, the harmonic language is richer and the forms are freer. Recorded complete by Howard Shelley on Hyperion as part of the 'Complete Concert Studies' project.