Liszt's Etude "Un Sospiro" technique

[jwolff]

in the opening 32 measures or so, should it be played as a left-hand crossover to hit the high A flat?  

Then, when the melody begins, I have been playing that with alternating hands in the same pattern.  Is this correct?  This song is much harder than it initally looks.  

Unrelated question:  I have Chopin's Ocean Etude 99% finished, but i want to hear a professional recording of it.  Any suggestions on the best interpretations?

[chopiabin]

There are tons of great interpretations, like Ashkenazy's first recording of them, Cziffra's, and tons of others, but a very good (especially on the Oceans) and readily available one is the recording by Murray Perahia.

[eddie92099]

This song is much harder than it initally looks

Song?
Ed

[Clare]

Uh, not sure what you mean, but during the first bars without a melody, there's no crossing, but when you get to the melody, you gotta play each note of the melody with alternating hands. I think that is what you were saying you did anyway.
I thought the piece was way easier than it looked. I mean, it's totally hard, but when you wrap your head around it, it feels kinda logical and comfy when you're playing it and it's really easy to memorise.

[Piazzo22]

Eddie, how old are you? really.

[comme_le_vent]

lol, ed is actually 17 - obviously he has wisdom that defies that age. but he never uses it!  

the best recording of the ocean etude is cziffra's, for my money.
also check out hamelin's superb reading of godowsky's left hand version.

[krenske]

sighs!

[eddie92099]

Eddie, how old are you? really.

17 years. It didn't take me 17 years to learn that Un Sospiro wasn't a song though,
Ed

[bop...boo]

the best recording of the ocean etude is cziffra's, for my money.
quote]

I love Cziffra and all but I must disagree he did a poor job with this etude.  Much too harsh

[bernhard]

Good recordings of Ocean etudes:
Alfred Cortot
Earl Wild

Un sospiro:
Jorge Bolet

[krenske]

anyone heard of Earl Grey?

[eddie92099]

anyone heard of Earl Grey?

He's not my cup of tea,
Ed

[thracozaag]

He's not my cup of tea,
Ed

 *GROAN*

[thracozaag]

Best Oceans I've heard:
Cziffra
Cortot
Sokolov
The Tormentor

Cziffra also plays a wonderful Un Sospiro.

[chopiabin]

Who's the Tormentor?

[eddie92099]

Who's the Tormentor?

MT,
Ed

[allchopin]

I like Horowitz's boomy #12 - he rages.

[trunks]

Agreed, Bernhard. While I am not for Bolet on each and every Liszt piece he had ever recorded, he played the un sospiro beautifully, as he did its two predecessors, the il lamento and the la leggierezza.

To jwolff (and others who might wish to learn this wonderful piece):
My suggestion is to seat yourself slightly shifted toward the right, perhaps experiment with half-an-octave to at most one octave right from the middle of the keyboard. That is what I do, in order to facilitate the very frequent crossing over of the left hand.

Enjoy, and feel this piece with all your heart. This is one of the few pieces that can bring tears while listening to a recording and even while I am playing it myself. Others include its first predecessor, the il lamento, and Liszt's own Sonetto 104 del Petrarca.

[donjuan]

Jorge Bolets recording of Un Sospiro is , in my opinion - too boring.  he has a way of bringing out the sparkling, brilliant tones of the piano (a becker, I might add), but the music fails to move forward.  I prefer David Helfgott's version, or leslie howard.  Jorge Bolet is excellent in Liszt's "Fountains of the Villa d"Este" or the Dante Sonata.  He's great in many pieces, BUT NOT FOR UN SOSPIRO, SPOSALIZIO, TARANTELLA, or anything else requiring strong ability to complete a musical phrase. (actually, tarantella wasn't that bad..)

Now as for the Ocean Etude of Chopin, I recommend Cziffra, like many many previous posters.  the melody is clearly projected, and dynamics are vivid.  You may have seen me say this in other postings, but CZIFFRA CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS with his playing.      

[erak]

You prefer Helfgott's over Bolet's?

....

[donjuan]

You prefer Helfgott's over Bolet's?  

yes, absolutely!!  Like I said, Bolet is, at times, quite boring.  Helfgott successfully captures the mood of the music and does well to represent LIszt's virtuosity.  Bolet tends to indulge too much in a single tone.  I admit, I enjoy doing this too.  BUT not in performance.  People need music to move forward.