Liszt the visionary: "Nuages gris" (Grey Clouds) and Impromptu in F# major

"Nuages gris" (Grey Clouds) 10:13
Impromptu in F# major 13:04
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[@antoniosimonmedia]

Just bumped into your channel. It is exceedingly rare to find a musician that not only ‘understands’ Liszt late music but has a real feel for how all that translates into sound and expression. Instant like and sub. Keep up the great work.

[@johnrock2173]

Wonderful performance. So exciting to see you lecturing on Liszt's later works.

[@grahamtwist]

I confess to being astonished again by Liszt’s piano music. Naively, I supposed he mainly wrote piano music that was filled with dazzling displays of bravura and virtuosity. But after this presentation and the performances by you, Cole, of ‘Trübe Wolken’ / ‘Nuages gris’ and the F Sharp Major ‘Impromptu’ / ‘Nocturne’ S.191, I see there is another, more contemplative side to the great man. This music is capable of transporting us into a solitary dreamworld . . . for as Liszt himself commented: “Supreme serenity still remains the Ideal of great Art. The shapes and transitory forms of life are but stages toward this Ideal”. That Liszt wrote ‘Nuages gris’ on August 24, 1881 certainly makes the progressive harmony in the piece anticipate the music of later composers such as Debussy. The freedom of the harmonic language sees voices drift through a bleak, atmospheric soundscape and a single chord can take on an ambiguous impression of expressive meaning. And the ending is just amazing! Time seems suspended as the final chords, like cloud vapour, evaporate without resolution. I was left in total awe with what Liszt achieved in this sound picture. Written nine years earlier for his friend, the Baroness von Meyendorff, his ‘Impromptu’ equally delivers solitude. Again, the harmonic ambiguity in the opening seems to defy expectations as to where the music is heading. And again, each chord seems to carry a universe of emotional meaning with a section of almost tumultuous frenzy moving towards the ultimate serenity of the final bars. Of course, in addition to your comprehensive introductory commentary, it is your exquisite playing that always makes for so much pleasure when listening to you perform. Thank you, Cole.

[@pianello369]

Enjoying and learning from your channel Cole. Thank you for your great work! Greetings from Iowa~ 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹 🎹

[@NickBacchetto]

Excellent video. You detail Liszt's influence on multiple 20th century trajectories very well.

[@SErik004]

Discovering all of these older videos now and I just have to say they're all fantastic; the analysis is enlightening for an amateur pianist like myself! Currently I've been focussing on Scriabin works but it's been a while since I've played Liszt seriously (albeit nothing technically demanding). I will definitely look at becoming a patron!

[@bernardmolan2976]

6:29 I also find the word "threatening" apt in describing Nuages gris.

[@nocturne2980]

Wow a new side of liszt. Masterfully explained and executed. I hope to hear some more liszt from you. Bravo!!!

[@WaltzTime]

This is an especially insightful and moving presentation.

[@nsk5282]

Very interesting presentation, as usual! These two pieces reminded me of V. Horowitz playing Liszt's Consolation #3 at concert in Vienna in 1987, 2 years before his passing , an old men who was a brilliant virtuoso pianist now playing a beautiful slow piece with great sensitivity and wisdom...That was a very touching moment. Thank you for presenting "the other" side of Liszt to us by analyzing and playing his late pieces beautifully, Cole! P.S. Nice paintings on the wall behind you!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

That is one of my favorite concert recordings as well-particularly that magical Kinderszenen. Thank you for your comment!

[@Mo-MuttMusic]

Thanks for the discussion of Liszt. Well-played, as usual, too. I like both pieces. "Grey Clouds" is probably my favorite. Shawn R., Mo-Mutt Music/Sacred & Secular

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ruramikael]

But not many composers were familiar with the late works of Liszt since many of remained in manuscript. I think that only Busoni and Bartok had some knowledge.

[@bernardmolan2976]

My neighbour says Nuages gris gives her nightmares and asked me not to play it after dark, saying "Can't you play something nice at night? That's [expletive] horrible."

[@pierredbss9638]

Thank you for this enlightening analysis! I've never appreciated nuages gris before, but now at least I understand it. I notice you own a Könemann score. How do you feel about this edition? I have a lot of them since they're cheap and the urtext label makes me think they're reliable, but I'd appreciate a professional's insight if you'd like to give it to me. Cheers!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

Hello, thanks for watching the video! Glad it was at least enlightening, even if you don't necessarily like that side of Liszt's music. About the Könemann score, I can't really give a comprehensive opinion, because I don't have so many of their scores, apart from the complete works of Balakirev-it was a gift many years ago. It's seems to be reliable though, and well laid out-easy to read. It's edited by a good musician, sources are cited clearly, and the notes are thorough enough. But I don't know about other more standard repertoire, particularly things where it is a bit more of an editorial nightmare like Chopin. Sorry I can't be more helpful!

[@pierredbss9638]

@@TheIndependentPianist Thanks for answering! I wouldn't say I don't like this side of Liszt because I find it extremely interesting, but it does not move me like Schubert or Ravel. It's also the impression I have : the scores are very clear, but with some quirks here and there, especially in Chopin. For him, I chose to forget about urtext and buy Cortot's edition whenever I can find it. Have a nice day!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

@@pierredbss9638 Ah well, Cortot's editions are oftentimes simply genius, and not only in Chopin! Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend spending too much time on some of those exercises. For Chopin, Friedman also has very interesting editions, if you can find them! And the edition of the etudes by Pachmann is almost unbelievable-almost seems like the fingerings might be a joke in some places. Anyway thanks again for the comment!

[@pierredbss9638]

@@TheIndependentPianist Agreed! I sometimes feel like I'm listening to a Cortot recording while only reading his commentary on some pieces. I'll be sure to check Friedman out if I come across his edition. It doesn't surprise me too much that de Pachmann has strange fingerings, given his reputation. Maybe he was trying to produce a very particular sound, and given the slow tempo (although that might have been because of his old age) of some of his études, he had some leisure to be a bit unorthodox. My - Russian - teacher told me to look for Paderewski's over all the other scores ; according to her those are the best one can find. I don't know if you've ever worked with one. You're welcome! It's a pleasure to talk with someone who knows more about music than I do!

[@TheIndependentPianist]

​@@pierredbss9638 Yes! I own pretty much the complete works in the Paderewski edition. Although apparently Bronarski and Turczynski actually did most of the work-I guess at least some fingerings are Paderewski's however. It's a great edition, the only problem I sometimes have with it is that they respell accidentals and make other small alterations in the way that counterpoint is notated. It isn't a big deal, and they always mention it in the notes, but sometimes I find that it can lead one astray in the best way to perform a passage-it's simply less practical. For example, in the B-flat minor sonata they change m.21-22 of the 1st mvt so that the inner note of the chord is a quarter instead of an eighth-if you try to play it literally it is much more awkward than what Chopin originally wrote! As long as you read the critical notes it's fine though, and they almost always chose the most logical reading based on all the different versions that are available. I haven't seen the new edition by Ekier yet, but that is supposed to be the most accurate according to contemporary scholarship-but I have a sentimental attachment to my old, yellowing Paderewski scores... :-) And I don't know if I know more about music than you! I'm constantly surprised by how much I don't know. I think if we just keep learning, it's all good!

[@zewensenpai]

nice

[@user-fu7zf4ck9z]

The scriabin prometheus chord reminds me of the theme of liszts prometheus symphonic poem