<a href="http://youtu.be/yu1zmXQkCso">Aimi Kobayashi plays Black Keys by Chopin</a>

Etude Op. Number 5, also known as Black Keys, is both a beautiful piece of music and an important historical document (Yu).  Composed by famed pianist Frederic Chopin between 1829 and 1833, the Etudes, and Black Keys in particular, represented not only a new and complex innovation in music, but also the rising influence of Nationalism in the Romantic period.  For these reasons, it would be a disservice to art to let this masterpiece go unpreserved.
It could be said that the Etudes were underrated in their time.  In the years after they were made, Chopin was really only famous among the elite in Paris as he was a piano tutor for the children of rich families (Britannica).  In this respect, the Etudes served Chopin well as a teacher for the students needed to focus on skill and technique in order to properly perform them (Hough).  Today, the Etudes are among the most famous of one of the world’s most renowned pianists, for their pure musical quality as well as their relevance in teaching the piano.  Chopin has been called a genius by modern composers such as Stephen Hough, and Black Keys in particular has been described as an “astonishing keyboard [innovation]” (Hough).
Black Keys, like the title suggests, is played almost exclusively on the black keys of the piano.  It is also a fast composition, with many complicated series’ of notes (Yu).  The black keys, being thinner and higher up than the ivory keys, as well as the way the notes are structured, was practically impossible by the old method of playing, which Hough described as played with “cramped, curled fingers” (Hough).  Instead, one had to adapt and play with a “fluid, flatter finger position” and have a much more flowing form in order to successfully play this song (Hough).  It can be said that this piece, along with many others, also acted as an expression of Chopin’s personality; concentrated, contemplative, and passionate (Brittanica).   
At this time (1830-31), the November Uprising was occurring in Poland (Brittanica).   Chopin was away and didn’t participate, but his polish nationalism is apparent in the Revolutionary Etude, an accompanying piece to Black Keys (Yu).  This was a feature of the Romantic period where Nationalism became a prominent inspiration for art (Britannica).  Though the Revolutionary Etude has some subtle differences in sound, such as having a more passionate tone as it is about the uprising and not solely using black keys, the overall form of complicated note patterns and the use of hand positions is the same (Yu).  A similar way this was employed was in Jacques-Louis David’s painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ (Pollit).  Both were inspired by a sense of national pride and loyalty, imbued with a feeling of passion and heroism (Pollit).  While David’s painting was inspired by the hero-worship of Napoleon and French Nationalism, the Revolutionary Etude was inspired by Polish Nationalism and loyalty to the cause of the Polish Rebels (Britannica).  As this moment was highly influential in Chopin’s life and Black Keys is, in a way, an expression of Chopin’s feelings, Black Keys can also be seen as exemplar of the themes and meaning of the Revolutionary Etude.
	In this, Black Keys acts as a scion of both the incredible innovations Chopin brought to the piano and music as a whole as well as the influence that Nationalism had on this period of art and culture.  As such, it needs to be preserved.
	
Works Cited
"Frederic Chopin (Polish-French Composer and Pianist)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Where I got information about Chopin, his life, his personality, and his accomplishments.
Hough, Stephen. "StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique." StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.
Where I got a modern perspective on Chopin’s music and a professional opinion on it’s significance.
Pollit, Ben. "David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps." - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.
Where I got information on the painting of Napoleon.
Yu, Fred. "Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes." Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.
Where I got information on the various aspects of Black Keys and some of his other Etudes.
