Top 5 best and hardest Liszt etudes?

[liszt-and-the-galops]

For me...
Hardest (I'm willing to defend this):
1. Mazeppa
2. Feux Follets
3. Chasse-Neige
4. Wilde Jagd
5. Appassionata

Best:
1. Appassionata
2. La Campanella
3. Chasse-Neige
4. Wilde Jagd
5. La Chasse*

*Including 1838, 5. La Campanella (1838)

Hardest, including 1838 versions:
1. Mazeppa (1838)
2. Paganini Etude 4b
3. Wilde Jagd (1838)
4. Feux Follets (1838)
5. Mazeppa (modern version)

[transitional]

Only including the final versions of the Transcendentals and Paganini Etudes.

Hardest:
1. Feux Follets
2. Mazeppa
3. Chasse Neige
4. Appassionata
5. Paganini 6

Best:
1. Ricordanza
2. Chasse-Neige
3. La chasse
4. Harmonies du soir
5. Appassionata

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Only including the final versions of the Transcendentals and Paganini Etudes.

Hardest:
1. Feux Follets
2. Mazeppa
3. Chasse Neige
4. Appassionata
5. Paganini 6

Why no Wilde Jagd? It's at least harder than the Paganini etudes...

[transitional]

Why no Wilde Jagd? It's at least harder than the Paganini etudes...

Of course, I've never tried a piece that difficult, and it's subjective, but Wilde Jagd looks easier than it's made out to be. It seems to be mostly figuring out jumps just for the piece while Paganini Etude 6 is a long-term acquired technique.

I don't think either of us are really experts on the matter, so this is definitely lots of speculation right now.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Of course, I've never tried a piece that difficult, and it's subjective, but Wilde Jagd looks easier than it's made out to be. It seems to be mostly figuring out jumps just for the piece while Paganini Etude 6 is a long-term acquired technique.

With Wilde Jagd, the massive leaps, rapidly repeated chords, the massive arpeggios, and that one octave trill, all at such a rapid pace, make it ridiculously challenging. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being 9th symphony transcription), I'd give a solid 7-8. The 1838 version especially is absurdly difficult, being on a similar level to the first two movements of Petrushka --Combined.
Paganini 6 has a lot of varied technique, but it's usually at a slower pace. I'd even argue it's easier than La Campanella (which has much more difficult trills and octaves). I think most of us can agree Wilde Jagd is harder than La Campanella.
As for placing it above Appassionata, it's fairly close. No. 10 has many more trills and looks way harder to make the notes sound right, but no. 8's technical difficulty is enough to surpass no. 10 imo.
Surely we can all agree it's easier than Chasse-Neige.

I don't think either of us are really experts on the matter, so this is definitely lots of speculation right now.

Absolutely correct.

[gasplamey]

Best:
1. Preludio
2. La Chasse
3. Appassionata
4. Chasse-Neige
5. Feux Follets

Hardest
1. Feux Follets
2. Mazeppa
3. Chasse-Neige
4. Fusees (Not sure if I spelled that right)
5. Wilde Jagd

Fusees is massively underrated in terms of difficulty.

[liszt-and-the-galops]

Best:
1. Appassionata
2. La Campanella
3. Chasse-Neige
4. Wilde Jagd
5. La Chasse

Best:
1. Ricordanza
2. Chasse-Neige
3. La chasse
4. Harmonies du soir
5. Appassionata

Best:
1. Preludio
2. La Chasse
3. Appassionata
4. Chasse-Neige
5. Feux Follets

It seems that we all agree Chasse-Neige, La Chasse, and Appassionata are among the best lol.