The Official Lisztomaniac Complete Transcendental Etudes Challenge!

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

Event by

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 Etudes 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
- 2 days ago
- Reported - view
Liszt of participants so far:

No. 1 - "Preludio": Noel Nguyen

No. 2 - "Molto vivace; Fusées": Noel Nguyen, Sachi

No: 3 - "Paysage": Thurmond, Maria

No. 4 -"Mazeppa": Judy Kuan

No. 5: - "Feux Follets": Yihan

No. 6: - "Vision": Volunteers needed

No. 7 - "Eroica": Volunteers needed

No. 8 - "Wilde Jagd": Alexander Weymann

No. 9 - "Ricordanza": Maria PRN

No. 10 - "Allegro agitato molto": Yuchao Zhou

No. 11 - "Harmonies du soir": Astrida

No. 12 - "Chasse-neige": Alexander Weymann

Encores:

La Campanella: Sindre Skarelven (to be confirmed)
- Noel_Nguyen
- 2 days ago
- Reported - view
Friends, I suggest we continue the discussion on the project on this official thread, but either way is fine!

I have updated the Liszt, but please feel free to copy it and modify it if you wish to add/remove/modify your participation!

In any case I expect the thread(s) to eventually slow down, only to pick up steam again as the deadline approaches!

Only two Etudes without takers at this point. Not bad at all!
- Pediatrician
- a_weymann
- 2 days ago
- Reported - view
just making sure you see that has moved the project to a new, “official” thread.
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
- Sindre_Skarelven
- Yesterday
- Reported - view
If it’s okey for this challenge (!), and we’re not too exhausted after the transcendental etudes (which we probably will be) I would very much like to learn and play La Campanella as an encore for this. Let me know
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  Yesterday
  
  Reported - view
  Approved!
  
  And regarding the watch party, if there are too many submissions (which I don't really expect), perhaps we could specially schedule a Part 2, to be held on October 22nd, PRN, TBD!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  Yesterday
  
  Reported - view
  wow - amazing! Can’t wait to hear your performance of that masterpiece. Henry Kramer gave a searing hot performance of it at last year’s Tonebase piano camp in Adamant.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  Yesterday
  
  Reported - view
  yes! On the Master’s 215th Birthday!
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
  
  Sindre_Skarelven
  
  Yesterday
  
  Reported - view
  And I can’t wait to hear your Wilde Jagd AND Chasse-neige! (I’m sweating and freezing with anticipation already)
  
  Would’ve loved to hear Henry Kramers performance! He’s brilliant!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  19 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  😆thank you, dear friend; I, for my part, am sweating and freezing with fear - but what a joy and what an honor to be part of this project!
- Maria_F
- 18 hrs ago
- Reported - view
Liszt of participants so far:

No. 1 - "Preludio": Noel Nguyen

No. 2 - "Molto vivace; Fusées": Noel Nguyen, Sachi

No: 3 - "Paysage": Thurmond, Maria

No. 4 -"Mazeppa": Judy Kuan

No. 5: - "Feux Follets": Yihan

No. 6: - "Vision": Volunteers needed

No. 7 - "Eroica": Volunteers needed

No. 8 - "Wilde Jagd": Alexander Weymann

No. 9 - "Ricordanza": Volunteers needed (I don't think I can learn it)

No. 10 - "Allegro agitato molto": Yuchao Zhou

No. 11 - "Harmonies du soir": Astrida

No. 12 - "Chasse-neige": Alexander Weymann

Encores:

La Campanella: Sindre Skarelven (to be confirmed)
- Karen_Sam
- 12 hrs ago
- Reported - view
I’d like to learn one of the études for the LRSM (ABRSM) exam. Would appreciate suggestions!
- Adam_Zhang
  
  11 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  12, 4, 5 are probably the most played at the level
- Karen_Sam
  
  11 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks, Adam! That helps. Do you have other programme suggestions?
- Maria_F
  
  11 hrs ago
  
  Reported - view
  4, 5, 10, 12,
- Adam_Zhang
  
  20 min ago
  
  Reported - view
  i never did the ABRSM exam but i did something similar here in the US, and they typically really like a diverse repertoire. I would suggest choosing one or two pieces from each time period :)
  
  Baroque: Bach. Italian Concerto, French/English Suites, or some of the Goldberg Variations if you're into that. Bach is the gold standard, but I'm sure you could find some other composers that are good for your level. Probably not any of the Scarlatti sonatas though
  
  Classical: Most of the time Beethoven or Schubert. For Beethoven, people usually go through the sonata route. Waldstein, Hammerklavier, Appassionata, or Op.101 are the most popular and competitive. Schubert is a good blend of classical and romantic. I personally love the wanderer fantasy.
  
  Romantic: a lot obviously. ones that come to find are Liszt's TEs, Schumann Toccata, Schumann Fantasy (may be too long for your purposes), Chopin Ballades (i love 4), Scherzos (i love 4 again), or really any of the very often played etudes. Barcarolle is awesome too. as a Lisztian I would recommend you look into some of the shorter but virtuosic Annees de Pelerinage (Les Cloches, Orage, villa d'este, Sposalizio, or petrarch sonnet 104), or the Paganini Etudes 3 or 6.
  
  Modern: i feel like the standard nowadays is Ravel Gaspard de la nuit, or Scriabin Sonata 2/5/whitemass/blackmass.
  
  Contemporary: this might be an optional section for a lot of music programmes. the most popular nowadays are Liebermann Gargoyles, or the works of Arvo Part.
- Adam_Zhang
  
  16 min ago
  
  Reported - view
  oh i would also recommend doing one long piece (15 minutes). Liszt: Dante sonata, vallee d'obermann, spanish rhapsody, don juan, norma. Chopin Fantasie, etc any of the longer pieces i mentioned above. it acts like a spike. it should show off your best technique (if you are good at Bach, do that. if you are good at chopin, do that. if you are good at mozart, do that.)
- Maria_F
  
  7 min ago
  
  Reported - view
  said:
  i never did the ABRSM exam but i did something similar here in the US, and they typically really like a diverse repertoire.
  
  Which exam did you do? Also, ABRSM is sometimes used in the US.
- Adam_Zhang
- 11 hrs ago
- Reported - view
i wouldve loved to play S140 la campanella lol. ill have to see if i can fit s138 into my practice schedule, then maybe i can do that