Liszt-Verdi Ernani paraphrase

[cz4p32]

Just wondering if anyone here has learned this piece.  I've been working on it, seems doable for the advanced amature.  Any thoughts?

[dnephi]

Looks nasty to me.

[soliloquy]

Not a piece for any amateur, no matter how "advanced".

[retrouvailles]

The technical aspect is sure a killer, but there is a lot of music behind it as well. I would say this piece is definitely for one who has quite a bit of experience, so probably not an amateur.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I've played it. I have played a lot of transcriptions and I didn't think it was excessively difficult. The main problem (for me) was the passagework at the bottom of the eighth, tenth and eleventh pages of the score (in Dover edition, that is pp. 209, 211 and 212.) The rest I found relatively straightforward. So, I guess, as an "advanced amateur" I'm in agreement with cz4p32. Terrific piece too.

[cz4p32]

I don't have the dover edition, but I'm assuming i know what passagework you're referring to.  I have played the 3rd Kapustin etude, 2nd chopin scherzo, among others.  I've already got the 1st 5 pages memorzied, although certainly not at performance level.  Ronde, I'd be very interested in hearing you play it.  Do you have a recording.

One interesting thing that I've found with this piece, is although it looks nasty on paper, it fits remarkably nice under the fingers.  Will I ever be able to play it like Hamelin - NO, however I believe an advanced amature could reasonably learn this piece for his/her own enjoyment.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Ronde, I'd be very interested in hearing you play it. Do you have a recording.

Sorry, I don't have a recording of it; it is two or three years since I last looked at it seriously. I considered playing it in a concert this summer but ended up doing pieces that I'd been working on more recently.

One interesting thing that I've found with this piece, is although it looks nasty on paper, it fits remarkably nice under the fingers. 

Yes, I think this is often the case in Liszt. The F min section with the arpeggiated figuration is a good example.

[cz4p32]

Yes, I think this is often the case in Liszt. The F min section with the arpeggiated figuration is a good example.

The part I was thinking exactly!