Lizst/Chopin etudes

[mwf]

Hello to everyone,

What are your thoughts on the level of difficulty of the Liszt transcendental studies as compared to the Chopin studies, I was wondering which set is the harder overall, or is it a case of some etudes in both sets being harder at times or easier than one another, in other words are they both at the same level of difficulty overall.

Also what would be most beneficial to learn, I am learning the Chopin etudes but was wondering if playing some of the transcendental etudes on top would improve my technique, or is everything you need to know technique wise contained within the 24 Chopin studies, as they appear to be to me.

Thanks.

[fiasco]

I would say the Liszt etudes are more difficult overall.  The Chopin's are tough, but Liszt would write pieces that were difficult just for the sake of being difficult, so he could show-off and build himself a reputaion.  None of the Chopin etudes are as hard as Liszt's TE #4, or, 5, or La Campanella.  People see the TEs as mere circus acts, but Liszt took his music very seriously, and I hear a lot of passion in them.  Just wish I could play them, ha ha.

[thierry13]

The Chopin's are tough, but Liszt would write pieces that were difficult just for the sake of being difficult, so he could show-off and build himself a reputaion.

For the etudes, that is normal. If else, I hate you.

[pita bread]

Liszt would write pieces that were difficult just for the sake of being difficult, so he could show-off and build himself a reputaion...

Liszt took his music very seriously, and I hear a lot of passion in them. Just wish I could play them, ha ha.

How contradictory are those statements?

[pita bread]

Chopin etudes isolate specific techniques.

Liszt etudes, on the other hand, focus on a broad spectrum of techniques, more akin to the difficulties you would find in a daunting piano-work than the average etude.

[thalbergmad]

The Liszt Etudes require big muscles.

Chopins require a big heart.

[stevie]

the liszt etudes are multi-technical, but those techniques are mostly comfortably laid out, once you have learnt them most of the hard work is done.

the chopin etudes are different, they focus on one single technique most of the time, and exhaust this technique completely.
for example look at op10 no1
its basically the same technique over and over, and thats what makes it so hard, not only the fatigue, but also the differing difficulty of each arpeggio.
all the arpeggios have to sound perfect, none is allowed to stand out, even though some are twice as hard as others.

i play 25/12 and this is just the same, the middle section is the most difficult because you have to sound just as comfortable with the extremely hard arpeggios as the easier and more pianistic ones.

for this reason i think the chopin etudes are the hardest to MASTER, and are the best means of comparing technique between pianists.

the only thing they dont cover so much is left hand technique, and for this i would advise some chopin-godowsky studies for left hand alone.

[franzliszt2]

I think to play all the chopon etudes is more dificult, as there are so many technical problems. However feux follets is probalbly harder than them all. Liszt's certainly come across as the hardest, with all the blazing octaves, and fast double notes.

I think if a person learnt all chopin's etudes he could play the liszt etudes with a lot less difficlty than a person who can play all the liszt etudes trying to learn the chopin.


Then againg, some people may find one harder than the other
 

[fiasco]

Alright, so I've made a contradictory statement.  But you have to admit that Liszt was a man of contradictions, that he was apparently deeply religious while also a notorios womanizer, that he did initially write the Etudes, as well as some Rhapsodies, the Grand Galop, etc... to display what he and nobody else could do, while also caring very much about the sanctity of music, teaching freely hundreds of students, devising the piano recital, symphonic poem, transcribing others' orchestral works for piano, etc...  Liszt is the greatest champion the piano has, and I would never try to belittle his influnce or contribution, especially considering my talent vs. his.  However, you must admit that some of his pieces are circus acts.