1st trascendental étude

[mussels_with_nutella]

Ok, i don't want please any comment about "leave that piece" hahaha please

I was about to learn this myself, and saw a youtube video of a man playing it, and I was surprised at the beginning:
After the strong C hit, it comes a nice waterfall from high pitches to the lowest. This waterfall was played with two hands, but in the score appears in the "upper" score, the right hand's score.

I know it is easier if you play it with two hands (evidently), but is it impossible to play it with only the right hand as smoothly fast as with two hands?

Thats my question.

Thanks for reading and commenting

The video, in case there is someone that doesn't know the beginning:

4-5-6th seconds

[j_menz]

There is no rule that ties hands to staves.

If you find it easier with one hand, do it that way; if you don't, use two.

[danhuyle]

I use one hand on that descending arpeggio.

[mussels_with_nutella]

Thank you for your two answers. Indeed, you are right there is "no rule", but here, intuitively, i thought Liszt had written this arpeggio for one hand (as it is an étude, we don't just play it beautifully (too) but learn), and wondered if i were right (if it is possible to play it with one hand).

Now I see there is someone who plays with one hand - it is possible hahaha Thank you!

[fftransform]

Do you want to play this piece as an exercise, or as a piece of music?

There is your answer.

[perprocrastinate]

Do you want to play this piece as an exercise, or as a piece of music?

There is your answer.

What if one desires both?

[fftransform]

What if one desires both?

Necessarily incommensurate.

[j_menz]

Necessarily incommensurate.

I'd have thought that half the point of the Chopin/Liszt/Alkan etc. etudes was to remove that incommensurability.

[nickus32000]

First off, I know Cory (the pianist in this video) and he often deviates from scores and simplifies passages. It's part of his style. Personally I find his playing on the pedantic side but he has a lot of good ideas.

It's actually easier to play this with one hand instead of two as long as you have a flexible wrist and good rotational technique. With two hands you miss the effect of a continuous legato.

This may be a little of topic but this Etude is a Prelude in the truest since of the word. Since it functions as a prelude to the entire set I would not recommend learning this by itself. Maybe couple it with #3 (paysage) which is technically one of the easier ones of the set.

[fftransform]

I'd have thought that half the point of the Chopin/Liszt/Alkan etc. etudes was to remove that incommensurability.

Then either you thought wrong or they failed.  For a given passage, if the output will be different dependent upon whether I choose to facilitate the playing in such a way that it will better-communicate my preferred interpretation, or adhere to the implied fingering so-as to train myself in whatever technique(s) the etude stresses (or purports to stress), I choose one or the other.  The questioner asked about the piece as a whole; thus by assumption I make the same choice between the two in all such passages.  If the output would be the same, no "choice between the two" exists; they are intentionally identical.  If the intended fingering facilitates intended interpretation, the same applies.

[j_menz]

Then either you thought wrong or they failed.  

A third option is that if you feel there is a choice between the two in a given piece, then you have failed, or your technique has.

Any of the three, or possibly some combination of them, may be the case in respect of any given piece.

[fftransform]

A third option is that if you feel there is a choice between the two in a given piece, then you have failed, or your technique has.

Please see that I covered this:

If the output would be the same, no "choice between the two" exists; they are intentionally identical.  If the intended fingering facilitates intended interpretation, the same applies.

[j_menz]

Please see that I covered this:

My apologies. I had (mis)read that as applying to the piece itself, not the ability to play it. Thanks for the clarification.

[blazekenny]

Sure, why not going for that piece. Among the transcendental etudes are some of my beloved pieces.
However, dont you think its a little unnecessary to play this etude ? Just as with the Rach preludes, with some basic technique you could learn it in a day - Its all about the bravura and it doesnt even last one minute. Dont expect any serious hardwork on this one.