liszt's greatest pieces

[jon]

I love alot of liszt pieces but I would like to know some more really great pieces that may not be so well known.What are some( other than any of his etudes, hungarian rhapsodies,sonata in b minor, or liebstraum) amazing pieces that are both moving but technically challenging?

[donjuan]

Liszt was the greatest transcriber of all time.  You should check out his opera transcriptions- Norma, the Donjuan fantasy, Grand Concert Fantasy from Sonnambula, Waltz from Faust, Robert the Devil, Rigoletto, etc etc..

He also did a number of transcriptions of Wagner's operas.  Personally, my favorite is Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde.  It is so touching compared to Wagner's original.  The new flavor is very unique and tasteful.

Liszt's 2nd piano concerto has some of the most triumphant moments in musical history, in my opinion.  There are times when you just have the urge to flail your arms and stamp your feet to release the euphoric nerve impulses!  It's really quite amazing!  To me, it speaks as it has that feeling of heading into battle bravely- knowing you are going to die, but going out in a blaze of bravura and virtue.

My favorite orchestral work (other than Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique) is Liszt's Les Preludes.  I love the Berlin Symphony orchestra's interpretation of it.  It makes you see life in a whole new way.  This was the first piece of music I ever heard because my parents put headphones to my mothers abdomen while I was still developing.  Perhaps I have been born to fall in love with this work.  Unfortunately, I cannot find a piano version by Liszt.  The best perhaps is Liszt's student August Stradal's arrangement of it for the piano. 

Now, when you say Liebestraume, I know you are refering to No.3 because it is the most popular.  It is probably the most likeable of the 3 because it has that timeless melody and builds up to grand finale nicely.  Just make sure you check out the other 2 so you arent missing out on anything.

Now, you said you like Liszt pieces that are moving and technically challenging.  There are a number of works from his years of pilgrimage that may scratch your itch.  The great things about this group is how it represents Liszt in all stages of his life.  He worked through them all his life, revising and creating new masterpieces for the world.  A common but not too common piece from the 2nd year is Sonetto 104 del petrarca.  I have played this work and I must say I have never experienced the piano the same in any other case.  It seemed like I was singing rather than playing the piano and the piano acts as my vocal chords.  It's an amazing experience and it helps develop your sense of sincerity at the piano.  Also look at valley d'Obermann from the 1st year and Les Jeau deau a la villa d'Este from the third year.  I cannot think of a piece in existence that represents fountains and the nature of water better than the latter.  It also would inspire and influence contemporary and impressionist composers to follow such as Ravel and Debussy.

Liszt has a great number of transcriptions of Schubert.  I like his Valse Caprices from Soirees de vienne.  Also have a look at Schumann-Liszt: Widmung.  Yundi Li plays this piece very well.  It is moving and technically challenging as it begins as a simple melody and accompanyment and develops into a robust version of it with flourishing arpeggios and strong marcato.

Liszt's 2 ballades are brilliant and very interesting to compare to Chopin's ballades.  Especially Liszt's Ballade No.2- It reminds me of Napoleon for some reason.  When I listen to it, I cannot help but imagine swarms of soldiers spreading throughout Europe.  It must be the chromaticism of the left hand. 

I can go on forever here, talking about my favorite composer!  I still havent started to talk about his forgotton waltzes, poetic and religious harmonies, or rare works from his early and late years.  (Look at Grand Galop Chromatique)  Just go to your local library and get every CD you can find on Liszt.  You will quickly learn there is so much more to this fascinating composer than just Hungarian Rhapsody No.2 and Liebestraume No.3.

I hope you found my words helpful.

donjuan

[rohansahai]

OMG donjuan!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must certainly write a biography on Liszt. I'll be the first one to buy it!!

[hodi]

you forgot liszt's great symphonic poem  - "totentanz"

[donjuan]

OMG donjuan!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You must certainly write a biography on Liszt. I'll be the first one to buy it!!

haha thanks for the compliment! 

you forgot liszt's great symphonic poem  - "totentanz"

Im not going to talk about every work of Liszt!  All I want to do is introduce other works of Liszt less known to jon.

and besides, "Totentanz - Paraphrase on the Dies Irae" aka Danse Macabre is not one of Liszt's symphonic poems.  It is a piano concerto, but Liszt also did a version of it for solo piano.  The solo piano version is viciously demanding both technically and physically.  I tried it once, but my wrists started burning- I am going to improve my technique and strength before taking it on again.  Here is the sheetmusic I bought:

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?sku=HL.50511557&cart=33092536081660604&searchtitle=Sheet%20Music

  My favorite recording of the Totentanz concerto is Gyorgy Cziffra with the Paris symphony orchestra.  (Gyorgy Cziffra Jr. conducts!!!! yay )  I strongly recommend this cd because it is so cheap for music so priceless:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NPJD/qid=1100283030/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl15/103-7961359-3371852?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

[Spatula]

You put Lisztmaninopin to shame! 

[Sketchee]

Donjuan got most of them.  Liszt wrote so many pieces that the topic of great lesser known works could go on for a while depending on each person's taste and which they've happened to come accross. 

Here are a few I've played.  I play Sonetto 47 as well as 104.  You might want to look at all three.  Look at all of Anees in fact!  (I was about to mention Orage but you said you wanted something musical right.)  Donjuan mentioned this set breifly: I play the first Valse Oubilee and the others are worth a listen and review of the score.  THe second one sounds cool but I don't know how hard it is.

There are less popular etudes too like Waldesrauschen (Forest Murmurs); I've siteread it a bit and it seems difficult.  Finally, there are the Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, many of which are severely underplayed.   Funerailles is the only one I have heard I think.

Among transcriptions,  Zycnzenie (the Maiden's Wish) from Chants Polonais is a nice set of variations on a song by Chopin.  I have a recording of Rachmaninov playing it, I don't play it like he plays it for certain!!  Liszt very freely transcribed six of these and there are a few I really like but I haven't found sheet music for (either in a book or online )

[donjuan]

(I was about to mention Orage but you said you wanted something musical right.) 

This piece is very musical- However, you must understand Liszt was very young when he wrote it.  It was believed he was incapable of finding peace.  I like Orage because of it's young vigor and thunder!

I play the first Valse Oubilee and the others are worth a listen and review of the score.  THe second one sounds cool but I don't know how hard it is.

I love the 4th Valse Oubliee, but I cant find the sheetmusic!  sketchee, can you help me out?  I understand it was found in the 1950s (haha it truly was lost)

Finally, there are the Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, many of which are severely underplayed.   Funerailles is the only one I have heard I think.

you are absolutely right!  "Funerailles" and perhaps "Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude" are the only ones regularly performed.  I cant believe people forgot about the surging warmth of "Invocation" or lost innocence of "Hymne de l'enfant a son reveil".  In my honest opinion, Liszt's most sad piece is no.9 of the Harmonies Poetique et Religieuses- "Andante Lagrimoso".  Just read this poem that goes along with it:

Fall, silent tears,
On a soil without pity,
No more between pious hands,
Nor on the bosom of friendship!

Fall like an arid rain
That spashes on the rock,
Which no beam from heaven evaporates,
Which no breeze comes to dry.
-----------------
Powerful, isnt it?  And the music is out of this world.  You can almost hear the tears falling on the barren rock.  Only the first movement of Liszt's 1st piano concerto and this piece affect me at such a level.

donjuan

[Sketchee]

This piece is very musical- However, you must understand Liszt was very young when he wrote it.  It was believed he was incapable of finding peace.  I like Orage because of it's young vigor and thunder!

I was just joking since some people have called it noise.   I started learning a bit of it a few months ago (the thread about those darned chromatic major thirds, but thanks to Orage I finally can do them well).  It is difficult to get it to sound musical with all that's going on.  I haven't worked on it in a while.  It makes sense that it's so heavt considering it's place in Anees though.

I love the 4th Valse Oubliee, but I cant find the sheetmusic!  sketchee, can you help me out?  I understand it was found in the 1950s (haha it truly was lost)

I think I only have the sheet music for the first one unfortunately.

Finally, there are the Harmonies Poetiques et Religieuses, many of which are severely underplayed.   Funerailles is the only one I have heard I think.

you are absolutely right!  "Funerailles" and perhaps "Benediction de Dieu dans la solitude" are the only ones regularly performed.  I cant believe people forgot about the surging warmth of "Invocation" or lost innocence of "Hymne de l'enfant a son reveil".  In my honest opinion, Liszt's most sad piece is no.9 of the Harmonies Poetique et Religieuses- "Andante Lagrimoso".  Just read this poem that goes along with it:

Who would you recommend lis[z]tening to for a complete set of these?

[presto agitato]

Liszt´s best piano work?? Hungarian Rhanpsodie num 12 by far ˇˇˇˇ

[jon]

Thanks for your suggestions.I had heard about almost all of these but i had never taken the time to listen to them i guess just because they weren't as well known and i assumed they must not be that great  .How wrong was I.I'm listening to the petrarch sonnet and i like it alot as i'm sure i will the others.If you know of any web sites that give mp3 or midi files so that i can listen to the pieces that would be appreciated.thanks again

[donjuan]

Who would you recommend lis[z]tening to for a complete set of these?

The only one I can find is Lesllie Howard's.  They arent played too well, but if you simply want to know what it sounds like and are too lazy or not good enough to sightread anything, it's perfectly fine.  Listening to Howard makes me think about what I would try to do if I were to learn the music.

Thanks for your suggestions.I had heard about almost all of these but i had never taken the time to listen to them i guess just because they weren't as well known and i assumed they must not be that great   .How wrong was I.I'm listening to the petrarch sonnet and i like it alot as i'm sure i will the others.If you know of any web sites that give mp3 or midi files so that i can listen to the pieces that would be appreciated.thanks again

Hi jon,
Yeah, that Sonetto 104 is really quite beautiful!  If you can, have a listen to Tzimon Barto and Vladimir Horowitz's recordings.

You  can listen to midis and live recordings of Liszt here:

https://www.classicalarchives.com/liszt.html

however, you will have to sign up for a free membership before getting access to the music links.  You can listen to 5 per day, and only download midis.  If you pay though, the whole site is open and its all good!!!

donjuan

[rohansahai]

Hey, the mephisto waltzes no. 2 and 3 are pretty underplayed ones too!!

[thracozaag]

  In addition to all the excellent suggestions above (nice to see so many Liszt fans!), I would like to mention all the amazing works of his later period...pieces like Nuages Gris, Jeau D'eaux ala villa d'este, the gondolas, czardas, etc.  To my mind, these pieces further enhance his reputation as an innovative composer, as opposed to some brainless publicity hound virtuoso (as he is often mistakenly referred to).
  And an even more amazing Totentanz by Cziffra is a live performance from 1962, it's arguably the greatest single pianistic performance I've ever heard.

koji (STSD)

[donjuan]

  And an even more amazing Totentanz by Cziffra is a live performance from 1962, it's arguably the greatest single pianistic performance I've ever heard.

koji (STSD)

Hi Koji,
Is this a different recording than this one?

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NPJD/qid=1100283030/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl15/103-7961359-3371852?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

If so, do you feel like sharing?

donjuan

[thracozaag]

  And an even more amazing Totentanz by Cziffra is a live performance from 1962, it's arguably the greatest single pianistic performance I've ever heard.

koji (STSD)

Hi Koji,
Is this a different recording than this one?

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005NPJD/qid=1100283030/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i4_xgl15/103-7961359-3371852?v=glance&s=classical&n=507846

If so, do you feel like sharing?

donjuan

  This is a bootleg recording from 1962 (where he also performed the Grieg Concerto).  Join the society and you can get all the bootlegs to your heart's content, heh.

koji (STSD)

[kissinfan]

Liszt´s best piano work?? Hungarian Rhanpsodie num 12 by far ˇˇˇˇ

yep this is a quite amazing rhap,!!!
 my Liszt faves are: sonetti dei Petrarca and the gorgeus prelude and fugue on Bach

[lostinidlewonder]

The Two Legends, St.Francis of Paula walking on the waves and St.Francis of Assisi preaching to the Birds are really beautiful pieces. Much harder pieces to make sounds nice and "right" but lavish stories behind each which makes them  easy to introduce in concert. If you want the midi's they can be found at the classical music archive which is free for registration. www.prs.net

[zippi]

Unfortunately, I cannot find a piano version by Liszt

The Klauser/Liszt one is mainly made by Liszt himself, Klauser did only the coarse texture.
But I dont know why Liszt refused to mention his name.

[lisztmusicfan]

As my name implies, I freaking love Liszt's works and am a HUGE fan of basically everything he wrote. One piece that kind of gets stomped into the dark are his and Schuberts Soirees de Vienna pieces, my favorite of them being the Valse Caprice. Hope this helps

[piano1mn]

Liebstraum 1 or 2 and 3
Ballade 1
Transcedental Etude no.12 Chasse Neige
La Campanella(Paganini Etude no.3)
Schubert's Ave Maria, Serenade, Erlknog
Beethovens' Symphony 5, 6
Annees de Pe.......- Pastorale, Gondola Song

[piano1mn]

Romance e min
Grand Galop Chromatique

[zippi]

@donjuan

Do you still seek the sheet music for the 4th valse oubliees ?

[wuharvey]

The set of Harmonies poétiques et religieuses is fantastic music.

Bénédiction de Dieu dans la solitude is one of the most amazing pieces in piano literature, period.

[g_s_223]