Cziffra Concert Paraphrase on Il Trovatore

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Crazy piece, but I've always loved his recording of it.

Anyway, here's my attempt at it. I don't think it's quite there yet and there's a few mistakes, but it would be interesting to know what people think. My hands were almost ready to fall off by the end.

[dnephi]

What wonderful playing, and beautiful music.  I may even come to love Verdi because of it.  Thanks!!  That sounds terrifically difficult.

Soon I'll be seeing my new teacher and picking new pieces.  Any recent favorites of yours from the romantic transcription extravaganza?

[vilius]

Sublime! I bow to your playing! Seriously, this is great, you should be very proud 

I wonder, where did you get the sheet music for this?

[pianovirus]

Bravo!! Really a crazy piece (I didn't know this one and it's also not in the Cziffra transcription book I have), and what a finale!! 
I agree with vilius: be proud of yourself, especially going on stage with a monster like that! Was this part of another operatic transcriptions recital?

[ronde_des_sylphes]

What wonderful playing, and beautiful music.  I may even come to love Verdi because of it.  Thanks!!  That sounds terrifically difficult.

Yes, it is rather difficult - though in honesty not perhaps quite as difficult as it sounds. There are other Cziffra pieces which I think are significantly harder (the Tritsch-Tratsch Polka arrangement, the Fantaisie Roumaine and his improvisation on William Tell spring to mind).
 

Soon I'll be seeing my new teacher and picking new pieces.  Any recent favorites of yours from the romantic transcription extravaganza?

My alltime favourite transcription will probably always be the Wagner-Liszt Isolde's Liebestod. I'm going to try and play the Norma Fantasy publicly one day; it would likely be my second favourite. I'm very fond of Thalberg's Moses Fantasy, but whilst I think the second half is terrific, the first half is, I feel, not to the same standard. I was considering working on the Tausig arrangement of Invitation to the Dance, but marik's recent posting of it is so excellent that I'd rather just listen to him.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Sublime! I bow to your playing! Seriously, this is great, you should be very proud 

I wonder, where did you get the sheet music for this?

There is no "official" sheet music for this. As you perhaps know, many of the Cziffra transcriptions/improvisations were written out and published by Peters in association with the Fondation Cziffra. (I believe the first book he and his son worked on, but the second book was done by someone else - the first book is certainly the more accurate of the two).

I had been looking for a score of this for many years with no success, but it turns out that it had been notated into Sibelius a few years ago by a pianist from Germany. Great credit is due to him for what must have been a titanic effort. I'm also very grateful to the person who supplied me with the finished Sibelius file.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I agree with vilius: be proud of yourself, especially going on stage with a monster like that! Was this part of another operatic transcriptions recital?

No, but I am considering making it part of a future transcriptions recital. The performance was from the final concert at a piano summer school which I was attending. A bit of a test run, perhaps.

[rachfan]

This is wonderful music and played with extraordinary artistry.  I give it an "A+" in my book.  Great job!

[goldentone]

Just wonderful.  There is real royalty in your playing. 
I believe it's the first I've heard you play.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Thanks everyone!

Whilst I'm pretty happy with the way the performance went, it is chastening to listen to Cziffra's inimitable recording and appreciate just how much better it is than mine. Of course, he was unbelievable in this sort of piece.

[thalbergmad]

I have only just heard this as i don't come in here very often.

There are not many people that could play this and to even attempt it took some nuts.

The art of transcription is not dead in this forum.

Well done

Thal

[opus10no2]

Cziffra's recording simply cannot be matched, which is why it's important to think in a different direction, saying something different with the same notes.

You've already achieved this, and all I can suggest is to continue in that direction.

[dnephi]

Do you have a personal notation of this score?  I'd LOVE to see it.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Cziffra's recording simply cannot be matched

I could not agree more - it is one of the most amazing recordings I have ever heard.

I've posted a video of the performance at

with the camcorder audio replaced by my digital recorder audio.

Youtube seems to have degraded the sound quality a bit, unfortunately.

[cygnusne]

Bravo!1 Well done !!