Liszt's Don Juan Question

[johnjwong]

I dont know what the trill should be, do you play like this:

Eb A Eb then the trill is F Eb F Eb F Eb, like you start with F first then Eb or u start with Eb first then F? and What fingers do i use for this trill, but my pinky and ring finger is quite strong capable of doing trills.  Someone please help me out thx.

[Daevren]

I am no expert but isn't it just a trill on the Eb? You always start a trill with the written note. So Eb F Eb F until the grace notes. Maybe you should accent the first Eb note of each measure because the notes aren't tied together. Maybe you could restart the trill every measure.

But those quarter note chords are no part of te trill.

This is all interpretation, you don't have to do it the way Liszt did it or meant to do it or the way other people do it.

[johnjwong]

I am no expert but isn't it just a trill on the Eb? You always start a trill with the written note. So Eb F Eb F until the grace notes. Maybe you should accent the first Eb note of each measure because the notes aren't tied together. Maybe you could restart the trill every measure.

But those quarter note chords are no part of te trill.

This is all interpretation, you don't have to do it the way Liszt did it or meant to do it or the way other people do it.

but then, my hand is not big enough to press Eb, A, and F tril with Eb.... I am having very big difficulty even to do a 9th..

[thierry13]

So, do your chord, press it only a milisecond(your trill will be uncomfortable for a milisecond), and move your and so you can comfortably thrill, do it at each beat. This is the only way you will be able to do it if you can't reach a 9th. I don't know if it is clear?

[Sketchee]

If you can reach, play a chord Eb-A-Eb with 1-2-4 and release. Don't worry about your pinky on the attack.  Release and move to play the trill on 4-5.  If you can't reach with 4 on the attack, go ahand play it as 1-2-5 or even 1-3-5 if you can't do it with the second finger.  The bottom two notes should be short and accented anyway.  On the second beat hit quarter notes with the same fingering along with the bottom not of the trill.

[donjuan]

I dont have anything beneficial to say- you have been given some great advice, I just wanted to compliment you on your EXCELLENT taste in music!

donjuan

[bernhard]

Yes, excellent advice from everyone above. I will just add something that has nothing to do with this particular piece, but I don’t what you to get the wrong idea from something that Daevren said:

I am no expert but isn't it just a trill on the Eb? You always start a trill with the written note

Actually, this particular trill you do start on the Eb as Daevren said.

However this is only for certain romantic and modern pieces. Baroque and Classical trills (and much of Chopin actually) the trill starts on the upper note, not the main note.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mh88]

the trill is on the eb only and the chords are to be played as shown...once the cords are done you can bring the left hand up and rotate between the hands to for a louder and faster trill....the real work then begins about 5 measures later when you get to the fff in tempo when you get to the 8va octave jumps with the left hand...VERY fun to play

i saw lang lang perform this in a receital in chicago and he used 1-3 trill with 4-5, as was said above then switch to using both hands for the trill before the decent down to the g-sharp...if you haven't seen the video of him playing it, check it out