Dreyschock vs Liszt

[presto agitato]

Once upon a time in Vienna:

Dreyschock's most glamorous prestidigitation even provoked Liszt:

 Apparently Dreyschock's teacher, Tomášek, had one day exclaimed about the extraordinary attainments of the modern-day virtuoso, and he prophesied that some day in the future, some virtuoso would be able to play the left-hand of Chopin's Etude Op 10 No 12 (the so-called 'Revolutionary' Etude) in octaves instead of single notes. Inspired by this heady vision, Dreyschock went home and practised twelve hours a day for six weeks.

At the end of it all he was able to perform the 'Revolutionary' at speed in the prescribed octaves. It astonished Mendelssohn when he heard it at the Leipzig Gewandhaus concerts, and it obviously made Liszt sweat a little when Dreyschock began single-handedly to usurp his Viennese audience. At his next Viennese concert, Liszt purled through Chopin's Etude in F minor, Op 25 No 2.
After the rapturous applause, he repeated the first bar slowly and tentatively - in octaves. Then again, a little faster. Then he really sped up and whisked the entire etude into an octave souffle. Talk about one-upmanship! Liszt remained King in Vienna, but Hans von Bülow couldn't compete with Dreyschock's success there.

He called Dreyschock's event 'a got-up furore', and described the left-hand wizard as 'an homme-machine, the personification of lack of genius, with the exterior of a clown'. Whatever the musical raison d'être for left-hand pieces may be, Dreyschock's tricks ensured him a place in the history books - and a large fee-paying public during his lifetime. The King of Denmark even gave him a box of cigars wrapped in 100-thaler bank notes after his left-hand Variations created a sensation in Copenhagen.


 

Could you play the Revolutionary as Dreyschock did?

[BoliverAllmon]

no, I can't play it that way. I can't even play the thing

[the_ts]

Heh, I wonder if say Horowitz, Cziffra, or Richter could do it.

[thalbergmad]

After reading this story in Schonbergs excellent book "The Great Pianists" when i was 18 (22 years ago), i did spend some considerable time trying to do this.

I found that i could get a good speed if i kept a stiff wrist and played almost as a nervous impulse, such as Llehvine did to the glissando octaves in Brahms Pag Variations, which was discussed recently in another thread.

Also, i found it best to maintain a 1-5 fingering throughout, otherwise i would lose power.

It is definately possible, but i doubt if a modern virtuoso would attempt it, as it is purely a stunt, and could possibly lead to injury.

I have no desire to have another go, and would not recommend it.

If anyone has yet to read Schonbergs book, please do.

[thierry13]

It depends to what speed, but I sure could play it at high speed in octaves. Without practice ( I allready know the original piece), I can play it at around 120 in octaves. With practice... I don't know really where I could take it.

[thierry13]

At the end of it all he was able to perform the 'Revolutionary' at speed in the prescribed octaves. It astonished Mendelssohn when he heard it at the Leipzig Gewandhaus concerts, and it obviously made Liszt sweat a little when Dreyschock began single-handedly to usurp his Viennese audience. At his next Viennese concert, Liszt purled through Chopin's Etude in F minor, Op 25 No 2.
After the rapturous applause, he repeated the first bar slowly and tentatively - in octaves. Then again, a little faster. Then he really sped up and whisked the entire etude into an octave souffle. Talk about one-upmanship! Liszt remained King in Vienna, but Hans von Bülow couldn't compete with Dreyschock's success there.

Liszt played it at SIGHT READING in octaves. He didn't played it before.

[Barbosa-piano]

 I'm pretty good with fast octaves, I am going to try it, and I'll bring the results. In the actual speed, my arm probably can't hold it that long, it should be painful.