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Topic: A (nearly) definitive "top 10" list of Liszt's hardest pieces.  (Read 908 times)

Offline liszt-and-the-galops

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A (nearly) definitive "top 10" list of Liszt's hardest pieces.
on: September 02, 2025, 04:14:38 PM
I've seen a lot of bullsh_t "top 10 hardest piano piece" videos on Youtube that include stuff like La Campanella in them, so I thought I'd make an at least semi-accurate one. Since Liszt is the composer I know most about (plus he wrote over 1,000 pieces) I figured I may as well start there.


Here's the list:
10. S. 137 Douze Grande Études no. 5 “Feux Follets”
9. S. 695c Romancero Espangole (Spanish Songbook)
8. S. 400 Reminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia
7. S. 420 Grand Fantaisie de Bravoure sur La Clochette
6. Berlioz/Liszt - S. 470 Symphonie Fantastique
5. S. 137 Douze Grande Études no. 8 “Wilde Jagd”
4. S. 464 Transcriptions of Beethoven’s Symphonies no. 9
3. S. 140 Études d'Exécution Transcendant d'Après Paganini no. 4b
2. S. 137 Douze Grande Études no. 10 “Appassionata"
1. S. 253 Spanish Fantasy

Obviously, this list is entirely my opinion, but I've done my best to be as objective as possible.

What are everyone's thoughts on this list, and on these types of lists as a concept?
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Amateur pianist, beginning composer, creator of the Musical Madness tournament (2024-26).
https://www.youtube.com/@Liszt-and-the-Galops
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