Why does liszt seem so hard?

[rachlisztchopin]

Why, when looking at the music and even listening to the music, does liszt seem so hard to play? Is it really actually that hard?  I haven't learned any liszt before so I am not sure. But I was looking at Totenaz score and it just seemed absolutely insane, harder then rachmaninov concertos. But is it? I don't know...please inform me on this.

[donjuan]

pssh totentanz is not as hard as Rachmaninoff's concertos.  Its a physical workout and affects the psyche for sure.  I tried the solo version of Totentanz and couldnt control it.  However, its still nowhere near as difficult as Rach 3.

[Goldberg]

In general, Liszt is much easier than it sounds; that's part of his genius as a piano composer. Being a supreme virtuoso and the true harbinger of modern technique, Liszt new exactly how to create pieces according to his style of play, which, it turns out, is the most natural (well, one may argue that it is at least some of the most natural) technical mode in which to play. His pieces are famous for their difficult-sounding trills and embellishments, but such passages rarely vacillate into unrelated keys (they usually stay in just one) and are built on specific patterns. The beginning to Totentanz, for instance--with the chord flurries--is actually relatively simple compared to, say, the mid-piece fugue; this is because the chord flurries are all the same thing: a specific pattern in diminished chords that's very easy to learn. Speed is the only barrier that the pianist has to break, and I find that Liszt pieces rarely take more than a week or two of hard work to get things comfortably up to speed after the notes are learnt. In short, his music is very "pianistic."

Oftentimes, to learn a Liszt piece, a pianist has to go through a few steps: first, he has to overcome the original intimidation of the score/recording (a big step for me, because sometimes I, quite stupidly, hold a little back in practice because I'm "afraid" of pieces. It's folly), then he has to learn the notes--a process that is usually surprisingly easy-- then bring it up to speed, which is probably the hardest part, because even though the technique plays out well, it's slightly more challenging to get the movements *exactly* correct.

As for Totentanz...I can't personally play it (although I could, if I actually got my utterly lazy self to practice enough) but have worked on it on and off for a while, not really intending to learn it any time soon...but I can say it's easier than it sounds. There are, no doubt, some geniunely tricky parts (I say Liszt is easier than it sounds but that doesn't mean it's a piece of cake) but overall it's relatively straight forward. You just have to have it EXACTLY down before performing it, or you'll just end up disappointing people. There's no inbetween. That's another rule that goes for most of Liszt's music. Liszt once said something like, "In order to play Beethoven correctly, one must have slightly more technique than is required in the score," and I believe that holds true for Liszt...or any composer, really.

[hodi]

i think liszt is much harder than it sounds..!
the trancedental etudes seem so easy but they are extremly difficult.

[steinwaymodeld]

i think liszt is much harder than it sounds..!
the trancedental etudes seem so easy but they are extremly difficult.

I think that only applies to Feux Follets, I have worked on several Transcendental etudes, they are either easier or as difficult as it sounds.

[Goldberg]

I agree with SMD; the TE's mostly sound exactly as hard as they actually are.

[f0bul0us]

Why...does liszt seem so hard to play?

Because he's crazy like that. You could say he's the Lebraun James of piano. Don't know who Lebraun James is? Then you're probably deprived of the TSN/ESPN.

[steinwaymodeld]

Because he's crazy like that. You could say he's the Lebraun James of piano. Don't know who Lebraun James is? Then you're probably deprived of the TSN/ESPN.

I am Ron Artest on Piano, I would stop playing in the middle of recital and knock out some of my audiences, then start promoting my new Rap CD.

[brewtality]

its spelt LeBron James. And since Jeff has taken Ron Ron the Rottweiler, i shall be the Ray Allen of piano, the consistent performer with the wikid tech

[molto_vivace]

so SMD you worked on several Etudes? Preludio, Paysage? what about Mapzeppa, Chasse Neige, Tarantella, 6 Paganini Etudes, Grand Galop chromatique, Apres une lecture du Dante... it requires so much technique and self control to master these pieces... I have a video of Cziffra playing Grand galope chromatique and some more (not enough webspace to offer, but if some has just tell me ICQ: 229001193) you would rather stop playing piano if you have ambitions becoming a pianist

[steinwaymodeld]

so SMD you worked on several Etudes? Preludio, Paysage? what about Mapzeppa, Chasse Neige, Tarantella, 6 Paganini Etudes, Grand Galop chromatique, Apres une lecture du Dante... it requires so much technique and self control to master these pieces... I have a video of Cziffra playing Grand galope chromatique and some more (not enough webspace to offer, but if some has just tell me ICQ: 229001193) you would rather stop playing piano if you have ambitions becoming a pianist

Yes, I have worked on Mazeppa and Chasse-Neige. ANd I performed La Campanella.
THe Cziffra video is not hard to find.

[SteinwayTony]

In general, Liszt is much easier than it sounds; that's part of his genius as a piano composer. Being a supreme virtuoso and the true harbinger of modern technique, Liszt new exactly how to create pieces according to his style of play, which, it turns out, is the most natural (well, one may argue that it is at least some of the most natural) technical mode in which to play. His pieces are famous for their difficult-sounding trills and embellishments, but such passages rarely vacillate into unrelated keys (they usually stay in just one) and are built on specific patterns.

Then again, the first time I heard La Campanella (Paganini Etude #3), I said to myself, "uh, so what's the big deal here?" 

I bought the score, and was rudely awakened by near-2 octave jumps in sixteenth notes!  Turns out that recording I heard was Hamelin, the super-virtuoso, who can make anything sound easy.

[brewtality]

that is one of da doc's great strengths.