24 Études, Op. 70

Moscheles's most important and enduring piano work, composed 1826 and published by Probst in Leipzig. The 24 Études, Op. 70 were the dominant piano study collection of the period between Clementi's Gradus ad Parnassum and Chopin's Op. 10 and Op. 25, and represented the most comprehensive survey of advanced pianistic technique then available. Moscheles approached the étude as a vehicle for both musical expression and technical mastery: each study has a distinct character, a predominant technical focus (octaves, thirds, trills, rapid scales, cantabile voicing, chord-playing, and so on), and a carefully sustained mood from beginning to end. Schumann reviewed them warmly; Chopin used them as models for his own Op. 10; and they remained standard teaching material throughout the 19th century. The collection is divided into two books of twelve studies each and covers a wide range of keys and expressive characters.