2 Hours of Liszt's Most Difficult Piano Music
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- 2 Hours of Liszt's Most Difficult Piano Music
A 2-hour compilation of (some of) the most difficult solo piano works of Franz Liszt. These pieces represent the summit of romantic-era piano virtuosity, combining extreme technical demands with a high demand of musical insight for an effective performance.
It is worth noting that most are not Liszt's original compositions, but rather arrangements or transcriptions of already existing themes by other composers, such as Paganini, Donizetti, Beethoven, etc. However, the original themes are extensively re-worked into true piano concert pieces.
The compilation is not exhaustive, and some notable works have been left out, such as the Sonata in b minor, Don Juan fantasy, Reminisces des Puritains, Reminiscences des Huguenots, etc.
See my comment below for some info on the pieces.
List of Pieces Performed:
Rondeau fantastique sur un thème espagnol (El contrabandista), S. 252 (1837) - 00:17
Pf. Valentina Lisitsa
Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini, S. 140, no. 4b in E Major (1838-1840?) - 11:27
Pf. Goran Filipec
Grande fantaisie de bravoure sur La clochette, S. 140 (1832-34) - 15:24
Pf. Sergio Fiorentino
Réminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia (Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de l'opéra de Gaetano Donizetti), S. 400 (1848) - 29:09
Pf. William Wolfram
Grosse Konzertfantasie über spanische Weisen, S. 253 (1845) - 57:48
Pf. Alberto Cobo
Douze grandes études, S. 137, no. 5: Egualmente (1837) - 1:08:49
Pf. Wenbin Jin
Ouvertüre zu Tannhäuser, S. 442 (1848) - 1:12:54
Pf. Georges Cziffra
Transcription of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, S. 464/9: IV. Recitative (1863-64) - 1:28:21
Pf. Cyprien Katsaris
Scherzo und Marsch, S. 177 (1851) 1:51:18
Pf. Sergey Belyavskiy
Some artworks used:
Gothic Liszt by eleganze
www.deviantart...
Paganini by Caprice24
www.deviantart...
paganini 2 by Caprice24
www.deviantart...
Requiem by cardensariel
www.deviantart...
Wisps by kkako
www.deviantart...
WTF is this. by Severita
www.deviantart...
Hope you enjoy listening!
This is top-notch my friend. At the time of writing this video only has 84 views, really deserves more recognition. 2 whole hours of genius compositions. 👍
Thank you!
true, I'm really suprised. I thought it s going to have at least 100k views( whithout being ironic). Keep it on !
@stou3672 -- Exactly.....BRAVO from Acapulco!
List of Pieces Performed:
Rondeau fantastique sur un thème espagnol (El contrabandista), S. 252 (1837) - 00:17
Pf. Valentina Lisitsa
Popularised by pianist valentina Lisitsa, this piece is often regarded as one of the most difficult
solo works of Liszt. It is notorious for its quick and wide-ranging jumps that exceed those of the
'La Campanella' study. It is based on the composer Manuel Garcia's song "Yo que soy Contrabandista".
Études d'exécution transcendante d'après Paganini, S. 140, no. 4b in E Major (1838-1840?) - 11:27
Pf. Goran Filipec
One of the most ambitious studies composed by Liszt is a more complex revision of an earlier version of a
transciption of Paganini's Caprice No. 1, 4a. This etude is a staccato study in the form of double
notes and chords; one of the most difficult techniques Liszt ever utilised in his virtuoso writing.
This set of Paganini-based etudes constitutes one of the most difficult sets of pieces ever written
in the Romantic-era. It could be considered the fruits of Liszt's famous obsession over Paganini's
showmanship and musicality on the violin, and a summation of the Paganini-inspired techniques Liszt strove
to translate to the piano. Filipec successfully achieves the arrangement's violin-like quality, a result
that could have only come after conquering the seemingly insurmountable technical demands.
Grande fantaisie de bravoure sur La clochette, S. 140 (1832-34) - 15:24
Pf. Sergio Fiorentino
Many are familiar with the famous 'La Campanella' etude of Liszt. The first usage of Paganini's
'La Campanella' theme (from his Rondo movement from the Violin Concerto no. 2) in Liszt's output
can be found in the monstrous 'La Clochette' fantasy (which can also be translated as 'La Campanella').
Like the set of Paganini etudes, this work involves much of the Paganini-inspired techniques that Liszt
pioneered on the piano, albeit being written earlier than the aforementioned etudes. It is worth noting
that Liszt was only 19 or 20 when he began writing this. Sergio Fiorentino, one of Italy's greatest pianists,
gives a rather definitive account of this rarely-played monster.
Réminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia (Grande fantaisie sur des motifs de l'opéra de Gaetano Donizetti), S. 400 (1848) - 29:09
Pf. William Wolfram
Liszt was known to be one of the greatest pianists of the 'salon' genre, where one would perform a virtuosic transcription
of a popular opera theme or melody. His Lucrezia Borgia fantasy can be considered the grandest of this side of him; well over 20 minutes long, it eclipses even the Don Juan fantasy in scope, and is quite possibly the most demanding opera fantasy ever written by the master. William Wolfram, however, gives a seamless account of it, and his convincing interpretation highlights the piece as possibly one of Liszt's greatest masterpieces for solo piano, alongside such monumental works as the Sonata in b minor.
Grosse Konzertfantasie über spanische Weisen, S. 253 (1845): 57:48
Pf. Alberto Cobo
This piece is sometimes considered Liszt's most difficult work for the piano - excepting perhaps only his hour-long symphony
transcriptions. And with good reason - it abounds in stunt-work that is Herculean even for a Liszt arrangement. This master-work is rarely recorded, though Mikhail Pletnev once performed segments of it in concert. Fortunately, an excellent recording by Alberto Cobo thrives, and this performance undoubtedly soars past the piece's brutal technical demands and into the heart of its Spanish character.
Douze grandes études, S. 137 (1837): 1:08:49
Pf. Wenbin Jin
It is occasionally heard that the famous Transcendental etudes of Liszt represent the summit of the master's writing; and correctly so,
yet it is also heard that it is in fact a simplified revision of a more challenging earlier set, the 12 Grand Studies of 1837. Pianist Wenbin Jin is one of the very few who have endeavoured to record the entire set of 1837 studies, and certainly one of the most demanding and innovative of these is none other than the fifth study in Bb Major, identified later as "Feux follets" (Will o' the Wisp). These 1837 studies are in fact also a revision - a gigantically fleshed out one at that - of a much simpler but ingenius set of 12 studies that Liszt wrote when he was a teenager, the Étude en douze exercices, S. 126 (1824).
Ouvertüre zu Tannhäuser, S. 442 (1848) - 1:12:54
Pf. Georges Cziffra
This piece deserves special mention as Liszt himself was reported to have given up playing through it! This is due to the piece's truly
exhaustive writing. Georges Cziffra, sometimes considered to be the greatest interpreter of Liszt's piano music in recorded times, gives justice to Liszt, and Wagner - the man who composed it: not much further explanation is needed. The recording is without doubt marvelous.
Transcription of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, S. 464/9: IV. Recitative (1863-64) - 1:28:21
Pf. Cyprien Katsaris
It is no secret that Liszt was a huge fan of Beethoven - so much so that he transcribed all symphonies on the piano! Only the fourth
movement has been included here, as it is the largest movement of the work and contains the famous "Ode an die Freude". The translation of symphonic music to piano and the demand for the performer to capture the sounds of the orchestra is a true test of musicianship, and Cyprien Katsaris' achievement of it is undoubtedly astounding. The 9th Symphony transcription is sometimes considered Liszt's most challenging and complex work written for solo piano.
Scherzo und Marsch, S. 177 (1851) 1:51:18
Pf. Sergey Belyavskiy
The 'scherzo und marsch' gained some notoriety for making some of Liszt's best pupils struggle with it. The piece could be considered
Liszt's most challenging original work from a comment by Leslie Howard, who has recorded all of Liszt's piano output. This piece precedes the Mephisto Waltzes and shows some of their character. Sergey Belyavskiy's performance effectively captures the piece's fiery character, choosing an outrageous tempo that properly gives off the agitation suggested by the music.
Some artworks used:
Gothic Liszt by eleganze
www.deviantart.com/eleganze/art/Gothic-Franz-Liszt-15174388
Paganini by Caprice24
www.deviantart.com/caprice24/art/Paganini-137673217
paganini 2 by Caprice24
www.deviantart.com/caprice24/art/paganini-2-137673667
Requiem by cardensariel
www.deviantart.com/cardenasariel/art/Requiem-91824595
Wisps by kkako
www.deviantart.com/kkako/art/Wisps-118448006
WTF is this. by Severita
www.deviantart.com/severita/art/WTF-is-this-193742063
Great. However, Liszt was really old when he struggled with tannhauser.
Or wasted your time. The video description has this.
@@IEEMAZ_Convoluted_14.2.8.5 for phone user
Why does it say La Clochette S 140? Shouldn't it be S.420?
it should be 52:48 for s.253
Can see it now :)
Thanks!
Having all these in one easy to find video is awesome!!!! Thank you so much!!!!
My pleasure! Yes that was the goal indeed.
I think the Douze Grande etude no. 10 s. 137 deserves to be on the list. Arguably this is the hardest etude Liszt composed, at least for many if not most pianists, and much more awkward to play than his 1852 Transcendental version due to its massive stretches and formidable coda.
Is it harder to play than Mazeppa or Feux follets?
@@marcorval Yes. There are three different versions of no.4, the hardest being the Transcendental version, which has a much more complex intro. The Douze Grande etudes are some of the hardest etudes to perform. Liszt toned down the difficulty and changed all chords with stretches more than a tenth.
@@marcorval Only number 4 is somewhat easier in the Douze Grande set.
@@astronomer747 what about the 1838 Paganini 4b? Or Paganini 6? Or Douze Grande Etude no. 8?
@@marcorval I've never played any of these pieces, but I would defer to Leslie Howard who has played and recorded every piece Liszt wrote for piano and is probably the foremost expert. He says the no.10 f minor s.137 is the most difficult of the 12 etudes. Tenth and eleventh chords abound and it is pretty ridiculous at the tempo required with all the leaping around the keys in the ending part. Liszt's hand reportedly shrunk in old age, which is why he could barely reach the black keys for the more stretchy chords in Beethoven's sonata no.29. Realizing the unreasonable demands of his original s.137 set, Liszt instructed them to be played only in their final versions.
Epic
1:49:40
Liszt is sultan of piano
and i felt good because i played the norma paraphrase once... :(
Which one is that?
Why is Liszt holding a baby at 1:51:18
He had several.
XD
What In the world in the beginning
sounded like an attempt to remake a Sorabji piece
@@preludio423 It's all the pieces here combined.
@Franz Liszt he's pretty weird. I would say it's bad. It's just very unique.
A cacophonous amalgamation of all the pieces to come.
Why not la Campanella?
If ur talking about s141, gtfo, if ur talking about s140, idk
La Campanella is incredibly easy compared to these works in the liszt. S140 Campanella is the much harder version of the well known Campanella.
19:08.
Oh okay thanks
@@Santosificationable um that’s not the la Campanella I am talking about