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Why tone matters more than speed, why reading Goethe matters as much as practising octaves, and how a single insight can transform a performance. Italian pianist and scholar Andrea Bonatta has spent decades exploring the contradictions of Franz Liszt, from performer to man of faith, virtuoso to poet. Here, in conversation with Piano Street at Liszt Utrecht 2026, he shares his vision. Read more
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Topic: Difficulties: Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 or Paganini Etudes: No.6 in A  (Read 2336 times)

Offline mjin1

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Difficulties: Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 or Paganini Etudes: No.6 in A
on: February 01, 2008, 01:25:50 AM
Just as the topic suggests, I'd like some opinions about the difficulties of these two pieces, which one do you guys think would typically be harder give or take. I know that 'difficulty' is usually pianist specific, however, these two have a broad range of technical demands...

FYI I'm talking about the Grandes Etudes de Paganini not the transcendental original one. I don't know what it's called. I'm working on the revised version composed in 1851.

And, for those who don't know, the 6th Paganini etude is a piano version of Paganini's 24th Caprice.

Either way, I've started both of them (Hungarian Rhapsody no.2 from the Friska ) and I think that as far as performance speed goes, Rhapsody is harder. Though, even though the 6th Etude's speed isn't comparable to Rhapsody's, what I think can make it tricky is that each variation more or less requires a different piano technique. So far I'm up to variation 5, and have had to deal with polyrhythm, rapid tenths, and rapid staccato octaves just to name a few.

what do you guys think? Thanks.
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