Etude in C# minor "Visceral"

An original study in C# minor for piano, nicknamed "visceral".

This name was given to the piece because of its evocative nature, to me it sounds like someone having a conversation and then arguing without any facts or bases, but emotions and feeling. The piece has a yearning and non-tonic introduction which leads straight into the A section. This section relies on the four chords C# minor, F# minor, A major, and G#7. It plays this 4 times before having a break on one C#sus4add9 chords, and then building up using chromatic notes starting from the dominant as bass notes which creates a rising tension which unleashes back to the A section theme repeated twice, then modulates to G# minor using a second A theme. This theme uses rising chord progressions which modulate back to C# minor before the beginning of the B section. The B section is in C# major, it uses lots of dominant chords on C#, F# and G# to modulate quickly and back to the original key. It only plays once before playing again but being cut short with a chord progression which brings it back to C# minor. Another rise of the chromatic line from G# to C# is present. This resolves the piece back into the A section, which only plays the main theme twice before starting the second theme in the A section. After this is done, the piece quickly modulates to F# minor before resolving back in to C# minor during a large rise in tension, the piece ends with a quick emotional melody with a G#sus4/7, G#7 chord and large contrary jumps of a harmonic minor 2-5-1 chord progression.

"Visceral" uses a technique similar to Chopin's Op. 25 No. 1 "Aeolian harp", and the great fairy fountain theme from legend of Zelda, except the melody is in octaves. This piece isn't too hard, but a good piece for practising bringing out thumb and pinky voices. This etude was inspired by Chopin's fantaisie impromptu op. 66 using similar shapes of arpeggios, and Op. 10 no. 4 "torrent" the idea of fiery melodies, chord progressions, and modulations.