Liszt's Transcendental Etudes

[shun]

I played the 1st etude sometime last year and am thinking of learning the others. I think the first one is probably the easiest, can anybody tell me if the others are much more difficult? and how much?

[nicco]

and how much?

about 34.773 dvorphs

[shoenberg3]

I played the 1st etude sometime last year and am thinking of learning the others. I think the first one is probably the easiest, can anybody tell me if the others are much more difficult? and how much?

To give a rough estimate: if first one's difficulty is 3 pianos.
2: 5
3: 1.5 (in techncical terms)
4: 6
5: 7
6: 4.5
7: 5
8: 5.5
9: 3
10: 5.5
11: 5
12: 5

[mephisto]

To give a rough estimate: if first one's difficulty is 3 pianos.
2: 5
3: 1.5 (in techncical terms)
4: 6
5: 7
6: 4.5
7: 5
8: 5.5
9: 3
10: 5.5
11: 5
12: 5

Really?

I can play no1, but I no9 seams so much more difficult.

[shun]

about 34.773 dvorphs

That's what I thought

[cloches_de_geneve]

To give a rough estimate: if first one's difficulty is 3 pianos.
11: 5
12: 5

Harmonies du soir (11) as hard as chasse-neige (12)? I thought 12 would be much harder than 11.

[JP]

About shoenberg3's ratings.

IMO, 2 is harder (than rating).
8 is easier.
12 is harder.

[thierry13]

I played the 1st etude sometime last year and am thinking of learning the others. I think the first one is probably the easiest, can anybody tell me if the others are much more difficult? and how much?

The big ones aren't even comparable in technical terms to the first one. In ANY way. If you take Mazeppa, well, it is 5 times harder, easily ^^ Same for Feux-Follet and Chasse-Neige. No.10 is one of the harder ones too. No.2 Isn't getting mentioned often, but is really too. If you tought Preludio was hard, you aren't ready for the ones I mentioned. The others are manageable I guess with hard work.

[shoenberg3]

Harmonies du soir (11) as hard as chasse-neige (12)? I thought 12 would be much harder than 11.

legnth was also taken into consideration

[shoenberg3]

About shoenberg3's ratings.

IMO, 2 is harder (than rating).
8 is easier.
12 is harder.

sure, why not? every pianist will find different things difficult. but i think my list gives a decent overall view.

[thorn]

I would class 1,3,6 and 11 classed as the easiest and 4,5,8 and 12 as the hardest with 2,7,9 and 10 in the middle?

[shun]

Thanks to all! Your input has been very helpful.

[thierry13]

I would class 1,3,6 and 11 classed as the easiest and 4,5,8 and 12 as the hardest with 2,7,9 and 10 in the middle?

I would switch 10 with the hardests, since in general people find it more difficult than 8. Personally I think it is a lot harder than 8, too.

[dnephi]

8 is a great piece yet it isn't sickeningly difficult.

Mazeppa's really hard to make accurate.  Does anyone here have experience with perfecting Mazeppa?  I would really like to hear your input & suggestions.

[avetma]

Wild Jagd is considered one of the easiest transcedentals (besides no1 and no3).

My order is kind like this:

easiest: No.1, 3
2: 7, 8
3: 11, 6
4: 9, 2, 10
hardest: 4, 5, 12

[nanabush]

Are you speaking technically or overall... typically fast etudes are more technically demanding..

[avetma]

Technically. Chasse is not fast and flashy, but I consider it to be one of three most demanding etudes. Unlike no.1. With Liszt you never know.

[thierry13]

Wild Jagd is considered one of the easiest transcedentals (besides no1 and no3).

My order is kind like this:

easiest: No.1, 3
2: 7, 8
3: 11, 6
4: 9, 2, 10
hardest: 4, 5, 12

I would put it like that :

Easiest : 1,3
2: 6,11,9
3: 7,8
4: 2,10
hardest : 4,5,12

[nanabush]

#2 is harder than Wild Jagd?  Really?  dear god... I can't imagine

[thierry13]

#2 is harder than Wild Jagd?  Really?  dear god... I can't imagine

Yes, in many ways.

[dnephi]

Yes, in many ways.

WJ is far easier than it sounds/looks.  I think it's incredibly beautiful for how difficult it is.

[nanabush]

What's #2 a study in?  Huge leaps?  And what's the main focus of Wild Jagd?

[etudes]

What's #2 a study in?  Huge leaps?  And what's the main focus of Wild Jagd?

Wilde Jagd is mainly for the rhythm problem see the triplet part with the LH rhythm part..and also some leaps
No.2 for me mainly is for the coordination between 2 hands..(mostly of passages are R L R L ) same with one variation before pizzicato variation in the Paganini etude no.6

[thierry13]

WJ is far easier than it sounds/looks.  I think it's incredibly beautiful for how difficult it is.

I know, indeed.

[verywellmister]

I would put it like that :

Easiest : 1,3
2: 6,11,9
3: 7,8
4: 2,10
hardest : 4,5,12

I think that's a good ranking.

[nanabush]

I borrowed the TE's from my teacher, and just poked through a few of them...  The leaping octaves in the right hand with the left hand rhythm near the end actually isn't near as hard as it seemed at first... Just from lookin through it the part I had the most trouble grasping was on the first and 2nd page... there there's a chord, then 32nd notes in both hands, then 3 chords, then 32nd notes.... I just couldnt get it... but the rest seemed semi-ok.

[thierry13]

I borrowed the TE's from my teacher, and just poked through a few of them...  The leaping octaves in the right hand with the left hand rhythm near the end actually isn't near as hard as it seemed at first... Just from lookin through it the part I had the most trouble grasping was on the first and 2nd page... there there's a chord, then 32nd notes in both hands, then 3 chords, then 32nd notes.... I just couldnt get it... but the rest seemed semi-ok.

haha, "semi-ok" , The trick with the 32nd notes then chords, is to visualise the next chord at the same time as your pinky hits the last key. And just get a good mental map of the keyboard helps, but that's a natural talent that develops over time I guess. Other than that this etude is very rewarding, as it sounds and looks harder than it is to non-pianists.

[dnephi]

Godowsky suggested playing in a dark room or with closed eyes.  This develops keyboard location better and more quickly and aids in concentration. 

I am going to give it a shot in my practicing.  I'll let you know how it goes.

This is being mentioned just because of the missing of notes and the jumps in WJ and the mental map of the keyboard.  I have one sort of but it's not as developed as I should like.