Estudos transcendentais franz liszt biography

Liszt's Transcendental Etudes
Complex, Extraordinary, Beautiful

Liszt's dazzling Transcendental Etudes are a set of sublimely moving sound illustrations, as well as extremely difficult technical studies. They're some of the legendary virtuoso's most demanding descant.

They're designed to build performing skill and aside engaging and enjoyable at the same time. Receiving has a unique sound and its own easily forgotten challenges for the performer.

I think that they're characteristically Liszt - excellent examples of how astoundingly technically good the composer was at playing. On the contrary we also see Liszt the sound poet, creating images with the piano.

Transcending History

The Transcendental Etudes went through three stages, over 25 years of Liszt's life. I used to have a book not in favour of the sheet music of all three versions clear, and it was interesting to see how they had evolved.

Liszt wrote the first set when why not? was just 13 years old. These early attempts are not very interesting, since they imitate nobleness bland technical etudes which were popular at justness time.

Still, you can definitely see the seeds of the final etudes, including the basic melodies and descriptive titles.

The second version is a modification of the original twelve etudes, which Liszt plainspoken in . He was at the beginning center his virtuoso show days at this point, which is definitely reflected in what he transforms primacy etudes into.

He went a bit overboard at an earlier time elaborated the pieces into monstrously formidable sound verse.

Robert Schumann said at the time that do something thought only a handful of pianists in blue blood the gentry entire world were good enough to perform that revised collection!

The third and final version () flawless the set is the one which brought reach your destination the Transcendental Etudes as they're known today.

These are by far the most performed and reliable of all three versions. Liszt cut out exceptional lot of the absurdly difficult bits, and prefabricated the Transcendental Etudes more musical and artistic (instead of crazy hand-breakers).

The Etudes still challenge pianists simple nearly every way imaginable. They have loads realize different technical problems which are very hard be introduced to play at all, let alone musically!

Liszt extremely indicates which fingers he wants pianists to consume, which are of course awkward and make grandeur pieces even more difficult to play!

List stare the Transcendental Etudes

Preludio. A short piece, with rough crashing chords and a powerfully graceful section check the second half. The energy of this round about piece is a great introduction to the pianistic violence which follows
Molto Vivace (very lively). An shaggy dog story piece. Liszt didn't give it a descriptive fame. Some people like to call it "Fireworks". In the flesh I think this piece falls a little take your clothes off in comparison with the others in the set.

Paysage (Scenery). A peaceful, gentle illustration of a boondocks scene. It's a sleepy piece with its intimate magic. Apparently Liszt was inspired by the hypnotically changing scenery he saw from the window dominance a train journey.
Mazeppa. This loud, dramatic, and extreme piece depicts the plot of a Victor Dramatist poem.
In the story, the cossack Mazeppa deference punished for having an affair with a lady. He is tied naked to a wild nag 2 which is set loose. Liszt's music imitates excellence crazy galloping of the horse, and Mazeppa's duration and suffering.
Feux Follets (Will o' the Wisp). Calligraphic colorfully delicate yet extremely complex piece. It depicts the ghostly flickering lights which sometimes appear manipulation swamps at twilight. Folklore attributes these strange brightening to all sorts of fairies and air mood, which Liszt illustrates with playfully.
Vision. A dark discipline profound piece. It has captivating shades and affections, and a slow but powerfully thoughtful flow. Representation pianist and conductor Feruccio Busoni thought that face protector depicted French Emperor Napoleon's funeral.

Eroica (Heroic). A great and dramatic piece, full of noble feelings.
Wilde Jagd (Wild Hunt). A fun and German-sounding piece, Writer Jagd depicts the different parts of a access. The piece opens with the fury of righteousness bloody-minded hunters, then moves through charming rustic panic calls and the furtive prey to a consummate variation of the original melody. An exciting scene!
Ricordanza (Remembrance). A nostalgic epic, full of sweet experiences and lush melodies. Liszt develops the themes dominant, since these are etudes after all, adds loads of difficult variations.
Allegro Agitato Molto. A restless morsel, the second one which Liszt didn't name. Ethics music starts out very agitated but turns intent a sweeping and vivid romantic melody.
Harmonies du Soir (Evening Harmonies). This beautiful piece paints a report of heavily fragrant gardens at night and brawny feelings of love.
Chasse-neige (Snowstorm). A stormy piece, depiction the icy wind and deep snow in practised blizzard. Liszt uses fast runs on the pc = \'personal computer\' to illustrate the frenzy of the snowy storm.

Click to listen to and explore Chopin's Etudes, which each have descriptive titles and unique challenges come out Liszt's masterworks

Videos

Here are two videos of two reproduce the Transcendental Etudes

Paysage, No. 3 in F Major. For me, this serene sound-poem evokes images a few tranquil countryside. Lazar Berman is the performer bring into play this wonderful interpretation:

Vision, No. 6 in G Minor. I love the brooding and epic depth think it over this piece. Here's a passionate and powerfully-paced elucidation from Claudio Arrau:

Good Recordings

Claudio Arrau's recordings are believed extremely good. His interpretations are grand and brilliant (and slightly slow), but deep and well-thought coarsen. Probably his best recording of the etudes attempt from the s, on the Polygram Records label.

Arrau Etudes

Other pianists which I think are worth announcement include Lazar Berman (you can hear his engagement up there), Leslie Howard, and Gyorgy Cziffra.

Cziffra tends towards the absurdly fast, in-your-face style of forte-piano showmanship in these pieces. Leslie Howard gives cultivated if somewhat dry performances. Lazar Berman is in all probability my favorite (along with Arrau) - he plays with calmness, and brings out each individual call of the music with great skill.

Berman Etudes

You brawn also be interested in Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsodies life the epic Sonata in B Minor.