Any advices about Franz Liszts La Campanella?

[mila5405]

this peace is not so easy to play for some one whois just 17 years old,,
 
can you advice me please ?

[Kassaa]

What do you think of practicing it?

[kony O]

first thing is probably just to learn the notes lol.

whilst you're doing that, do it by sections. relax and avoid tension

listen to some recordings of it.. that'd be a good way to know how to interpret it. Yundi Li's recording comes to mind. don't do it as fast as him though..

anyway gl.

[michael_langlois]

first thing is probably just to learn the notes lol.

whilst you're doing that, do it by sections. relax and avoid tension

listen to some recordings of it.. that'd be a good way to know how to interpret it. Yundi Li's recording comes to mind. don't do it as fast as him though..

anyway gl.

Another good one is Watts, whose interpretation is very spirited, and can be quite reckless (in a positive sense).

ML

[thalbergmad]

Learn the 1838 version.

It's better IMO

Thal

[jason2711]

Hi I'm 18... recently learnt it and performed it as an encore (though terribly flawed...)

What I did is basically spend up to an hour daily going over it at a speed where I could read the notes and be aware of any mistakes I was making.  If a mistake was made, I would stop and work on it.. trying vainly to crrrect it and make things smoother.  This is probably not the best way to learn it, but it worked (in about two and half months I had it memorised and able to be loved by an audience who weren't familiar with it (ie, they couldn't tell all the slip-ups or interpretation flaws)

The leaps can be pretty frustrating... I find pages 2 and 3 the hardest often.  Work on being able to play those leaps effortlessly... initially just try slowly doing them and eventually you'll gain a better awareness of where they are.

Other tricky moments are times where you're trilling and playing notes with the same hand.  Again, work on these slowly, making sure you're getting it precise.  Try hands separately (or even try parts separately... eg just trill until you feel really secure with that, then add in the notes) to gain a grounding before you try throwing it all together.

A lot of this, you probably have already been told, so I'll just say good luck!  It's such a magical piece to learn and perform, so you'll know it will be worthwhile!

[michael_langlois]

Hi I'm 18... recently learnt it and performed it as an encore (though terribly flawed...)

What I did is basically spend up to an hour daily going over it at a speed where I could read the notes and be aware of any mistakes I was making.  If a mistake was made, I would stop and work on it.. trying vainly to crrrect it and make things smoother.  This is probably not the best way to learn it, but it worked (in about two and half months I had it memorised and able to be loved by an audience who weren't familiar with it (ie, they couldn't tell all the slip-ups or interpretation flaws)

The leaps can be pretty frustrating... I find pages 2 and 3 the hardest often.  Work on being able to play those leaps effortlessly... initially just try slowly doing them and eventually you'll gain a better awareness of where they are.

Other tricky moments are times where you're trilling and playing notes with the same hand.  Again, work on these slowly, making sure you're getting it precise.  Try hands separately (or even try parts separately... eg just trill until you feel really secure with that, then add in the notes) to gain a grounding before you try throwing it all together.

A lot of this, you probably have already been told, so I'll just say good luck!  It's such a magical piece to learn and perform, so you'll know it will be worthwhile!

I do not mean to discourage, but (imo) the piece is too difficult at this point if you have to go through all of the above in order to play it.

[jason2711]

I do not mean to discourage, but (imo) the piece is too difficult at this point if you have to go through all of the above in order to play it.

I like a challenge... though I didn't really need to go through all this, I'm just merely offering suggestions.  Plus, eventually if you want to get better you will have to play pieces that test you in ways you haven't developped yet.  By learning these you will improve your weaknesses.  I don't believe that it was too difficult for me... it was on the very limit of my repertoire difficulty.  I got through it, am a better pianist for it, and now play a piece which I love and makes me feel all good inside.  Granted, I'm not going to play it to critical acclaim, but I know I'm not at that stage yet, nor will I probably ever be... right now I want to learn what I will enjoy and what will benefit me.  La Campanella did.  It's always useful to learn to cope with pieces which may appear horrendously difficult at first, since unless you're Liszt himself, there will always be some.

[emmdoubleew]

My friend played this when he was 14 (I beleive schoenberg3 learnedt his when he was 12) and he said he always practiced it at speed but in very small segments.

[donjuan]

Learn the 1838 version.

It's better IMO

Thal

haha thats the one where Liszt threw in bits from Paganini's 1st Violin Concerto

[thalbergmad]

haha thats the one where Liszt threw in bits from Paganini's 1st Violin Concerto

Certainly is.

More people should try this version.

Thal

[tompilk]

Certainly is.

More people should try this version.

Thal

i like that version the best too... much more interesting... i never knew the second theme was from the violin concerto... im beggining to get an impression of "Liszt the thief".. he seems to have wrote very little original music... but what he did was better

I think Li's performance is the best ive heard... whatever you do dont listen to earl wilds because it has put me off him for life... he plays it as though he struggles (which is ok if you arent a concert pianist and this is relatively easy to other pieces he plays).. and everything is just banged at staccatto ...
yuk... no expression either... i found his Liszt sonata similar.
Maybe it was his nerves at the video camera at the concert?
Tom

[sissco]

Learn the 1838 version.

It's better IMO

Thal

Yesss...I agree...I agree Is that version of the same difficulty?

[donjuan]

Yesss...I agree...I agree Is that version of the same difficulty?

no, this one is unplayable.  I have no idea how Leslie Howard manages.