12 LEVELS OF LISZT TRANSCENDENTAL ETUDES RANKED BY DIFFICULTY - SHOWING AND EXPLAINING WHY

[@horoffra]

SEND SUPER STICKERS TO SUPPORT THE CHANNEL 😊🙏

[@rachm06]

I just started feux follets, i'm not a professional so sometimes I found it difficult even to read it slowly because at low speed it totally makes no sense, as there are so many dissonant chords. I really can't grasp how brilliant Liszt was to write such a piece that at high speed become so beautiful!

[@horoffra]

😊🙏

[@vladislavmoshkanov6145]

What's the point of learning something that you won't be able to play properly even at slow pace for 5-10 years?

[@frédéricchopinFan.9479]

Intro 0:00 Level 1 No.3 “Paysage” 2:07 (easiest) Level 2 No.1 “preudio” 2:49 Level 3 No.6 “Vision” 3:48 Level 4 No.11 “Harmonies du soir” 4:32 Level 5 No.9 “Ricordanza” 5:58 Level 6 No.7 “Eroica” 6:58 Level 7 No.8 “Wilde Jagd” 7:59 Level 8 No.12 “Chasse-Neige” 8:47 Level 9 No.10 “Appassionata” 10:00 Level 10 No.4 “Mazeppa” 11:00 Level 11 No.2 “Fuse” (or rocket) 11:49 Level 12 No.5 “Feux follets” 12:52

[@horoffra]

Thanks 😊

[@CharlieFretwellPianist]

My favourite are definitely wilde jagd, feux follet and 2 at the minute but they are all so good

[@GabrielSantos-qe9lu]

Great video, I'm enjoying binge-watching your channel! I'm learning number 10 now, its really a challenge!

[@horoffra]

Love 10 😊

[@loganm2924]

I personally think #1 is technically easier than #3, it's mostly all techniques that beginners learn, arpeggios and chords. I find #12 the second hardest from me, but the only ones I've played in full are 1, 3, and 5.

[@horoffra]

1 at good speed is not easy

[@ludicroussealanimations3643]

hi rein 🥺

[@Katsariss]

well if you think about it that way, feux follets is also just mostly arpeggios?

[@loganm2924]

@@Katsariss no it’s not

[@Katsariss]

@@loganm2924 how so?

[@hornerook]

I first heard this set in 1966 played by Louis Kentner. I was not prepared for what I was going to hear and was overwhelmed. I later heard them by John Ogden, and the piano literally shook in places. I have played 3 in concert, 10, 11 and 12. Very badly, but the audience didn't know any better!!! I am a big fan of these pieces. I never tire of them.

[@clementj2005]

Classement bien pertinent que je partage totalement. Berezovsky, Arrau, Ofchinikov les ont totalement maîtrisés, impensable ! Merci vidéo intéressante

[@Seenall]

Good and informative video, thank you Maestro 🙏

[@horoffra]

Thank you too 😊

[@HarmoniousMelodies457]

I love Liszt’s transcendental etude: I consider this as my “bible” alongside my piano technique(scales, arpeggios, etc.)book: after practicing one of the 12, almost all piano repertoire feels easier to sight read and learn.

[@annikanilsson6152]

Simply brilliant - thank you!

[@horoffra]

Thanks 😊

[@metaman1831]

I’m planning on starting a Liszt Etude! I’ve mostly done Chopin so I want to go explore more repertoire.

[@horoffra]

Grat idea 😊

[@Xpian]

Liszt is underplayed today so he often goes unappreciated. Thank you for doing something to correct that! (You said you didn't remember some études so well as it had been a long time… no-one would ever know!)

[@horoffra]

😊🙏

[@thecozytrader00]

Etudes where meant to be difficult, but Liszt and Alkan etudes are on a completly another level.

[@dcunited710]

#12 is my favorite ❄️☃️🌫️

[@thecozytrader00]

4:11 not to also mention the chord and voicing ballance, very hard piece on a musical level. All Liszt estudes literally trancendes in terms of music and technique required. I'm working on no.1, but it's not even close to Chopin etudes in terms of learning path, Liszt etudes require you to already have a bunch of knowledge while Chopin you can jump in without much background, since the etudes will teach you the technique.

[@maui3947]

Great video as always, still waiting for the Scriabin Routine one day

[@horoffra]

Haha thanks, will put it on the list

[@maui3947]

​@@horoffra Sounds good!!

[@louisehollyhead6807]

I largely agree but would switch a few. I'd say 1. 3 ,6, 11, 9, 8, 7 10, 12, 2, 4, 5 (I've switch 1 and 3, 8 and 7, 10 and 12, 2 and 4! But I've gone pretty much the same way just switching pairs around. I agree with your explanations. I agree Transcendentals are difficult. They're very intense. They're playable but each requires a lot of intense practice. I'm learning the 12. I always thought feux follets beyond me but I changed my mindset and I've sorted the double notes now and all the different sections but bringing it together as a whole is hard! I will get there. The most wonderful tone poems.

[@horoffra]

Good luck

[@thenotsookayguy]

Good ranking 👍

[@innerfaith2296]

Very nice suit man! ❤❤

[@horoffra]

Thank you, its a nice one to wear in the winter.

[@tungholau2457]

Agree that the 2 is underrated difficulty by Henle, it may be a mixture of Winter etude and chormatic etude by Chopin. The 10 one seems little bit easier than the 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12 these top six challeging trans. etudes, it is lack of jumps and more rubato in comparsions of the 8.

[@epthopper]

10 has a lot of massive jumps in the left hand at the climax, over 3 octaves in the span of a triplet 16th note.

[@alkanliszt]

Really good video. Imo they are in groups of difficulty: 3, 1 perfectly reasonable; 6, 11, 9 problems to solve; 10, 8, 7 lots of challenges; 2, 4, 12, 5 very difficult indeed (that's my approximate, subjective order, easiest to most difficult). Would like to see your take on the Liapunov etudes, which are somewhat of a successor to the Liszt ones.

[@horoffra]

Thanks, indeed, im not sure the liapunov are that difficult

[@alkanliszt]

@@horoffra It's a while since I looked at them but 10 is a bit of a clone of Islamey and 11 is a Feux Follets type piece. I found it quite impossible to get a tempo tbh but that's perhaps me!

[@horoffra]

@@alkanliszt worse looking at it for sure 😊 they are great

[@tristanmerla6960]

Très instructif. Et effictevement, je travail en ce moment simultanément la 2 et la 4. Je ne suis pas assez avancé pour parler de chaque section ni des intentions à apporter par la suite. Mais d'un point de vu purement mecanique j'avance beaucoup plus aisément sur Mazeppa.

[@horoffra]

Bon courage

[@shinnaga9367]

I have read the article with great interest. I think I understand what you mean.

[@horoffra]

Wich article?

[@shinnaga9367]

It was interesting to see the process of coming to a conclusion while wondering which technique was more difficult.

[@OziCastle]

Love your videos man! Curious to know though, which is your favourite, mine are 2, 4 and 10

[@horoffra]

Mine is 5,9,10

[@Topaze69-f1b]

J'adore Liszt c'est celui qui m'a donné le plus envie de tryhard le piano

[@horoffra]

😊

[@Tizohip]

The feux follet is not made to be played too fast like the most of pianist plays, also the another works.

[@faizalkhoury415]

If i just finished playing bethoven appasionata and chopin 2nd ballade and chopin winter wind etude would it be sensible to learn one of these liszt etudes either no 10 or 12 or 8 and which one is better to learn???

[@horoffra]

Whatever motivates you is fine 😊

[@faizalkhoury415]

Thnx

[@aml-071thecosmicenderman3]

Eroica should be higher than no.8 and no.10 or maybe no.4, because Eroica has octaves that are almost like Le Preux octaves

[@horoffra]

I find octaves easy

[@MarcusBDavis]

I personally think number 12 is the hardest one! 🙏🏾🤨🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹🎹

[@horoffra]

Do you play them all?

[@GingerIndiana]

Avoir travaillé les 12 Études Transcendantes est juste incroyable... 👍. (Vous êtes belge ? On a eu le même excellent professeur au CRMB, mais je suis bien plus âgée que vous...)

[@horoffra]

Oui je suis belge, j‘étais chez jcvd et Blumenthal

[@GingerIndiana]

@@horoffra JCVD pour moi... (avec l'incomparable Teresa si vous l'avez connue 😊. Paix à son âme).

[@horoffra]

@@GingerIndiana oui j‘étais chez elle aussi.

[@Pamela-dv7gb]

Im really surprise to see vision so low,it’s insanely hard especially the hard part

[@horoffra]

The other are harder 😊

[@Pamela-dv7gb]

@@horoffra could You also rank all liszt rhapsody?

[@pompasduris]

Do you have the added notes of the Mazeppa run?

[@horoffra]

Im adding them

[@pompasduris]

@@horoffra 🙂

[@zangdaarrmortpartout]

Feux Follets: Liszt marked this piece at 120bpm. I don't get why everyone is ruining it by trying to speed run it.

[@horoffra]

Because metronomic indications are no obligations, Liszt was the first to change the music of others.

[@nunomellomusic]

In general, what is harder? The Transcendental S. 139 or the Paganini Etudes S. 141? What one should begin with?

[@horoffra]

I would start with paganini 1,5 and transcendante 1,3,6

[@nunomellomusic]

@@horoffra thanks a lot!!

[@TheKratas1998]

Thank you very much for this interesting video! Do you consider Liszt Etudes to be more challenging than e. g. pieces from the triptych Gaspard de la Nuit?

[@horoffra]

Probably very different, never played ravel so I dont know

[@Alix777.]

Juste une question, sur ce genre de piano je suppose qu'il n'y a pas de sourdine ? 😅

[@horoffra]

Non

[@gloriapenny2323]

Super!!! I’d love to know how long it took you to learn all the études … so much work. I’d like to learn them all

[@horoffra]

Depends if you do only that or other things at the same time

[@gloriapenny2323]

@@horoffra At the moment I’m working on an all Chopin programme, and when I’ve finished it, I will plunge into Liszt.

[@MichelleAnne_harpsichord]

Thank you for this video😊 When are sure you know the piece like these well enough?

[@horoffra]

When your are satisfied and feel you master it

[@Yatagarasu.]

Is Etude no 10 a good piece to strengthen my left hand? I want to focus on my left hand technique (it lacks heavily) and put not so much focus on my right hand. Would I struggle mostly on my right hand on this etude or is it even for both hands?

[@horoffra]

It would yes

[@andromedaperseus954]

Very interesting ranking. I rarely saw anyone ranking no. 2 among top 5. I've never learned it so can't really comment on that. Among the 4 (4, 8, 10, 12) I've learned I think it's 10 < 4 < 8 < 12 for me. Somehow the 2/4 fingering in Mazeppa feels very natural to me, I even feel easier to play with straight 2/4 than alternating with 1/3. The section right after un poco rit. a capriccio in No. 8 is really difficult for me. No. 12... I just suck. Just out of curiosity, in terms of difficulty where would you put Prokofiev's Toccata among these etudes?

[@horoffra]

Interesting, no idea, never played it 😊

[@louisehollyhead6807]

I think no. 2 is a bit of a funny one. It looks innocuous but there is a lot crammed in there and to play it really well it is harder than it looks

[@horoffra]

@@louisehollyhead6807 agree

[@tungholau2457]

no 2 is one of the most difficult trans etudes, tiring fingers playing especially 3-5 fingers, many accelrando parts etc.

[@Homier973]

I’ve played 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,12 and 1 is definitely easiest and 12 is so difficult people should try to learn a easy Liszt piece should go for 1,3 the technique is easy and especially 1 is very short and the technique is so easy is mostly fast runs and chord

[@pleasespeedineedthis]

is 4 harder than 12

[@Homier973]

No 5 is the hardest

[@Homier973]

@@pleasespeedineedthis depends on ur personal technique I find no 12 harder cuz all the tremolo

[@pianisthenics]

Darn, I was thinking about doing this same exact video since last year 🤣 never get to do it

[@horoffra]

You played them too? 😊

[@pianisthenics]

@@horoffra performed them in Spain, Poland last season 😁

[@horoffra]

@@pianisthenicsamazing 😊

[@toivotoivo8380]

for me maybe 1. 5 2. 4 3. 12 4. 8 5. 6 6. 10 7. 11 8. 9 9. 7 10. 2 11. 1 12. 3 But I haven’t played them all. So it may not be qualified for evaluation. This is just my general feeling.

[@horoffra]

You find feux follets the easyest?

[@toivotoivo8380]

@@horoffra no（） this is from most difficult to most easy🌝🌝

[@horoffra]

@@toivotoivo8380 aah ok

[@thenotsookayguy]

How is 6 that high up? Imo, it's the 3rd easiest Étude from the set, but that's prolly cause I have pretty big hands.

[@horoffra]

@@thenotsookayguy maybe yes, the middle part is not that easy, and play the rrythm in the beginning correct is not easy

[@Alik_msk]

А что делать людям которые не понимают вашего языка?

[@horoffra]

KZbin have automatic subtitles now, look in the options of the video

[@wuxuanxiao2711]

I think 10 is easy and that's the only one I can play among this twelve

[@horoffra]

Good for you

[@Elishalevizecchillo]

👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@Theonydid37]

I think number 8 and 10 is not that hard I’ve played both of them and they are not as difficult