Liszt- Transcendental Etude #4 (Mazeppa)

[koopakool]

Been working on that for a little while. Not as hard as #8, #5 and #12 but it's pretty tricky in some places. Your comments will be appreciated, unless it's to say that I need a "real" piano

[pencilart3]

HOLY COW!! YOU ARE KOOPAKOOL FROM YOUTUBE!?!??!??!?!? Oh my goodness!!! I am like your biggest fan!! OH MY GOODNESS! YOU ARE AMAZING! I am a personal fan on your Feux Follets recording! Check out this thread that I made... https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=59282.0. You were on my 3rd post down, LOL. The comment I made on there made it sound like I didn't like it very much, but it is FANTASTIC!! I'm sorry, I'll listen to your TE #4 here in a second, but I just had to say that you are AWESOME!!!!!

[pencilart3]

All right, so now I've had a chance to listen to it. Since you're like 10,000 x better than me, I won't give you really any constructive feedback, but I just have a comment about your octaves. They are fantastic. But here's something you can do to keep them interesting. Try playing them slower at first, then speeding up and playing the last few more quickly. I have a feeling that you can play just a few octaves faster than you can those whole huge octave runs, right? So if you start just a tad bit slower, you can then finish faster, and the whole octave run will appear to be faster. Vadym Kholodenko does this perfectly. Well, actually, he does the whole thing perfectly LOL!

At 4:12, you can hear him speeding up his octaves as he descends, just like I mentioned. Maybe he could play them all that fast, but I kind of doubt that anyone could!

Anyway, fantastic job, sir! This is one of those pieces that I'm like "Someday, I will play this!"

(Emphasis on the SOMEday haha!)


P.S. I also find it interesting that you find this easier than #8 and #12. I think that most people think that it is 5, 4, 12, 8, but I know that everyone is different! I remember a comment that you made on another youtube video, that said that you found #8 harder than #5. Do you still think that?!?!

[iamazombie911]

Very nice! I think you sometimes have a tendency to skip some of the rests, so be careful about that. And get a new piano please 

[emill]

Been intermittently "lurking" in your YT channel over the years and particularly liked your take of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue".  As they say "You are one hell of a talented dude"!

However, when people say "that you need a "real" piano" which you find not pleasant, I feel you may be misunderstanding it.  I am sure what many meant was that - they feel such talent should be playing in a real acoustic piano, definitely a positive praise. Keep on! ;

   

[immortalbeloved]

Your fingers are so . . . wow.

I am just in awe--I have watched it a few times.

Oddly enough, I am reading a book on Liszt and just finished a funny few pages on some of the terrible pianos he would have to play on in some areas during his famous 8 year tour.

[koopakool]

@pencilart3 

So if you start just a tad bit slower, you can then finish faster, and the whole octave run will appear to be faster.

Haha true that, I've been experimenting with this idea and it does make an interesting effect. Thanks

I remember a comment that you made on another youtube video, that said that you found #8 harder than #5.  Do you still think that?!?!

I sure do. #5 is written to be played fast, lots of chromatic scales and tight runs. #8 looks like it could be best played by a computer. Most people don't consider it hard because they just play it too slow. It's meant to be played hyper fast all the way through. You need legendary stamina to finish it under 4:30 and still hit every note clean. Well maybe it's just me and I'm just not enough in good physical shape, I should do more sports

@emill

Been intermittently "lurking" in your YT channel over the years and particularly liked your take of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue".  As they say "You are one hell of a talented dude"!

Woah emill   I've been a huge fan of Lorenzo's skills for a while now! (Because he's a future celebrity for sure) This comment made my day I tell you !!!

[pencilart3]

Nice! I'm trying #8 now haha

[daniele1234]

Wow -a truly mesmerising and phenomenal performance. May I ask just how you got your technique so good? What exercises did you do and for how long? How long have you been learning this piece for?

[ianzilla]

KoopaKool I've always loved your playing too! And how you can somehow do things I never thought you could do on digital pianos.  May you tell me your background in piano ? like how long, education, etc.