The Official Lisztomaniac Complete Transcendental Etudes Challenge!

Jul 1 at 2 PM - Jul 31 at 2 PM EDT

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This is it, dear piano friends, the ultimate celebration of our love for the piano, and of the 140th anniversary of Franz Liszt ascending to the heavens!

You are all invited to submit a recorded performance of one or more Études d'Exécution Transcendante, in whichever iteration you like! (S.136, S.137, or S.139)

As of July 1st you have probably learned the notes of your Etude(s), so the following 4 weeks will be to bring it to the most Lisztomanic state possible!

The watch party is set for July 31st, 2026 (the exact date of His 140-year anniversary of death) at 2pm EST.

Let's get the dopamine and catecholamines surging like never before!

Looking forward to being dazzled beyond recognition!

- Noel_Nguyen
- 5 days ago
- Reported - view
I end up with the biggest chunk of Chasse-Neige 😅. Well, being Canadian, I should be able to make it. Incidentally I have never been able to delete the mental image of a giant snowblower when thinking of the words Chasse-Neige.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Actually I have to say, it would make more musical sense if you finish at the end of bar 56, but I'm good either way!
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I am fine with that; I just said measure 52 because you had 53-79.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Perfect, then let's aim for that split. And you get to end your part in a more musically satisfying way !
- Noel_Nguyen
- 4 days ago
- Reported - view
Looks like there's another exciting joint effort coming up, friends!

reached out to me, with concerns that I would spontaneously combust from the pathological Lisztgasm of having to prepare ~3.3 Etudes, and generously offered to share the performance of Vision! Thank you, my Samwisesque friend!
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I updated the Liszt!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  😂 yes, caring is my middle name. Spontaneous combustion at the height of some musical 'gasm or other is to be expected when performing Scriabin but to be strenuously avoided when playing Liszt. I couldn't have borne to see it happen. So, Master Frodo: I will play bars 1-31, and you shall carry only the easy burden 😉 of measures 32-70.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  please see above: measures 1-31 for me, measures 32-70 for . Thank you.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I updated the Liszt!
- Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
  
  Michelle_Russell
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thurmond is still considering one of the others, I can't remember if it's 6 or 7. Once the fellowship decisions are announced (next week) he'll probably decide if he can add another piece. He and I will be sans teacher for May, June, and part of July so if he isn't accepted into the composition fellowship (sacred music) then he'll have more available time to join in on the Lisztomaniac Fun. (But I'm really hoping he's accepted!!)
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I am just going to insert myself here to clarify - and I hope that I speak for when I say this - that the Liszt-List is still very much open and that anyone who is able to join us and tackle one or more of these amazing pieces is very much welcome to do so. We would all love to hear Thurmond present his interpretation of an additional one of these Transcendental Etudes.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Exactly, I was thinking today that it's great that Thurmond and Yihan have already recorded their Etudes so now they have the option of adding even more of their magic to this adventure, in whichever way they want! Conversely, I'd also be happy with the "less than ideal" case scenario of not having all the pieces played in their entirety. If we have excerpts from every Etude, I'd already consider it a win!
- Maria_F
- 4 days ago
- Reported - view
I just started trying to learn the Chasse Neige cadenza and it seems impossible to play the right notes, let alone to play it well.
- Maria_F
- 4 days ago
- Reported - view
Does anyone have any advice regarding the circled chord in measure 46? I can't reach 10 and it is awkward to arpeggiate.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I can reach an 11th, but even I would arpeggiate that one. You have to get the lower note just a tiny little bit before the beat.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I assume I just have to practice a lot.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  we all will have to do that for this particular Challenge; you’ll be in excellent, exhausted company. 😁
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I have to practice a minimum of 4 hours a day, according to my teacher.
- Mark_Cooper
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  hi Maria , the whole piece is full of these sort of leaps , my section 1-17 has numerous such leaps in both right and left hands , I think that’s part of the essence of this study , I plan to practice these slowly , one method is to quickly jump to the target note first before playing it and btw I have small hands so there is no way of me reaching these intervals
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  In the LH I'd play the second group (the one that starts on a B-flat) as 8 notes that are played in fairly equal duration, those notes being Bb-B-C-Db-D-Eb-E-the low Dd.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Yes, I know they are all full of leaps, and I also have small hands.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thank you! As you know, Chasse-Neige is nearly impossible! It is definitely much harder than the Wanderer Fantasy and probably much harder than Mazeppa.
- Mark_Cooper
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  actually come to think of it , it’s a hallmark of Lizst , I am working on the Liebestraum no3 as well , and it also has crazy chordal leaps 😓
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I have to say, nothing scares me more than Schubert's fast octaves passages (e.g., in the Wanderer, or the D784 finale). But I admit I haven't even tried them. I just hate anti-pianistic passages. They make me feel disrespected as a pianist, so I don't even want to try them😆. My loss, I know. But I'd much rather (try to) play Liszt's most difficult works.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  La Campanella and Mazeppa also have many large jumps.
- Maria_F
  
  4 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I personally like fast octave passages but your opinion also makes sense. I personally find fast trills/arpeggios like in Chasse-Neige very difficult and am more comfortable with octave passages.
  
  Also, what about Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6, the Sonata in B Minor, and Grand Galop Chromatique?

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The Official Lisztomaniac Complete Transcendental Etudes Challenge!

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The Official Lisztomaniac Complete Transcendental Etudes Challenge!

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