Wagner-Liszt Liebestod

[birba]

Alright.  The tremolos throughout the piece.  Are they to be played freely or in time.  I find there are occasions for both.  For example, after the final orgasmic release, during the descending e major chords and on for four bars, I play the tremolos in time.  But at the beginning, for example, I play them freely.  But bars 30-31?  and 42-47?  I really wonder what Liszt wanted.

[thalbergmad]

Are they to be played freely or in time. 

Its Liszt, you can do what you bloomin want to. He would have.

With some romantics, the score is an idea and not an instruction.

Thal

[birba]

No, i won.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

My score says re the lh tremolo from bar 5 "The tremolo is to be played ppp, molto legato and as rapidly as possible [Liszt's note]". I think an obviously metronomic tremolo in the opening (where you can hear it going "one two one two one two one two", so to speak, sounds ridiculous; the aim surely is to create an underlying blur of sound. At the end, I think you're right to be more metronomic, because there is a combination of explicit tremolandi and implicit tremolandi where he's written them out in full and presumably the speed of the tremolandi should be constant throughout that passage.

I've got to say that getting them right is imo the hardest aspect of the piece.

[birba]

No, i won.

[j_menz]

I think an obviously metronomic tremolo in the opening (where you can hear it going "one two one two one two one two", so to speak, sounds ridiculous; the aim surely is to create an underlying blur of sound. At the end, I think you're right to be more metronomic, because there is a combination of explicit tremolandi and implicit tremolandi where he's written them out in full and presumably the speed of the tremolandi should be constant throughout that passage.

I've got to say that getting them right is imo the hardest aspect of the piece.

FWIW, I agree entirely.

[ronde_des_sylphes]

I think an obviously metronomic tremolo in the opening (where you can hear it going "one two one two one two one two", so to speak, sounds ridiculous; the aim surely is to create an underlying blur of sound. At the end, I think you're right to be more metronomic, because there is a combination of explicit tremolandi and implicit tremolandi where he's written them out in full and presumably the speed of the tremolandi should be constant throughout that passage.

I've got to say that getting them right is imo the hardest aspect of the piece.

FWIW, I agree entirely.

Five years later, and fwiw, I agree entirely also. 

Birba, I've a feeling you posted the end result in the audition room, but I can't find it.

[birba]

I opened this thread so i could do this:

And insert it in the "first to post, wins" thread.

[birba]

It didn't show up.  It should say "i win".
So much for playing around, instead of just playing...

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Oh, I see.. sort of.