Liszt - Etude Transcendental no. 11

[koopakool]

Here's Liszt again,

End of last year, I had the crazy dream of doing an all Liszt concert for my friends. I never learned anything from Liszt before, so I didn't know the hell I was embarking on. What do you think of this order?

1- Wilde Jagd
2- Harmonies du Soir
3- Totentanz

After that little concert, I think I'll give my wrists a break and start playing Satie or something  

[austinarg]

A very nice performance, although I think it could be even better if your keyboard wasn't so unstable. With this and Totentanz, I'm surprised you still have wrists...

[koopakool]

LOL looking back at it indeed it's ridiculous how the keys shake. Doesn't seem that bad when looking from the top. That's me, cheap stand, cheap keyboard, cheap camera, cheap recording equipement (hopefully not cheap playing). I'm a little ashamed. The worse is that I have two real pianos at home, I certainly could produce something better. I just HATE dealing with material, god knows why. I agree it's a little stupid to be posting my stuff expecting feedback from talented people here when I don't put a minimal effort to have decent recordings. Thanks a lot for the comment.

[lisztarian]

This is really very nice. I would love to hear a performance of it on a grand piano. I'm sure it would sound deliciously good (in a musical way ). However, I feel (despite the very good technique) is that you lack a certain image in this wonderful work of music. Of course you do know that this is not just a simple study for technical improvement, but Liszt -the genius at older age- loved to create images through sound so much that you could call him the Romantic rendition of the latter colorful Debussy (but very VERRRY different approach to image-creation through sound). Coming to the point, I think you should probably come up with an image filled with whole-hearted love of a man to a woman he really adores (imagine it being one-sided and very sincere) and when the new image comes (at 3:35) imagine this love is interrupted by the daily routine (you know...simple things like making yourself breakfast, or going to work or college walking your way there and this theme expresses your true normal life against this one-sided true love and how these two images evolve more and more until at a certain point they gather (and so on) going to an ending of your own desire. I think too much, I know ! This could prove to be useless by some (perhaps even MANY), but I believe that if someone has a good and very convincing image in their head, they could bring such an image even without telling about it. It will show what you want to tell. Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck! WE LOVE LISZT !

[koopakool]

Hey lisztarian,

Yes we do love Liszt! Thanks for your comment! I totally agree with you that TEs must be rendered with high musicality, specially true with Harmonies du soir. In all modesty, I can say that I deeply understand how the pieces should sound.  I try my best to render them on digital piano but it's really not easy. There is no way to get the dynamic range of a real piano. That and the fact that I'm sometimes so concentrated on hitting the right notes, the emotions don't always get through. I'm maybe not mature enough technically to be playing these, I'm not a pro and don't intend to be one day so I have the freedom to try to learn anything even if it's not realistic   I'll keep the imagery you're describing in mind when practicing it some more, I'm sure it will help a lot with expression.

I have no teachers so it's really great to have feedback from you guys! Thanks!