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 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
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Liszt of participants updated:

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": Noel Nguyen

No. 7 - "Eroica": Marc M?

No. 8 - "Wilde Jagd": Alexander Weymann

No. 9 - "Ricordanza": Angela Fogg

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

No. 11 - "Harmonies du soir": Astrida

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

Encores:

La Campanella: Sindre Skarelven (to be confirmed)
- Angela_Fogg
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
Thank you Noel!
- Noel_Nguyen
- 1 mth ago
- Reported - view
The prospective Liszt is looking good now, with names assigned to all Etudes!

I could possibly play Vision. I do slightly prefer Wilde Jagd, but only slightly, so it will be the latter only if Alexander pulls out, otherwise I'll play Vision!

Edit: I'll commit to Vision. If needed, I'll subsequently add Wilde Jagd.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I definitely will play Wilde Jagd because I always do what my teacher tells me to do! 😉 However… (see separate post)
- Mark_Cooper
- 3 wk ago
- Reported - view
Hi Noel, and everyone

I can see that the Etude list is full , and truthfully I wouldn’t have had the time to prepare one adequately , but if it’s ok , and I know it’s way overplayed and not an Etude as such, I could bring up the Liebestraum No3, to a reasonable standard as I’ve played it in the past

it would be nice to participate in the Liszt celebration
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Yes that would be a welcome addition! Every year that ends with a 1 or a 6 is a Liszt celebration year!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  PLEASE play Chasse-Neige! I have been agonizing about it for the last few weeks because my piano plate has become insanely full. I may still do it because I love that piece so much, but then the worst case scenario would be that we both play it. please take me out of the “Chasse-Neige” slot and write TBD.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  now I feel bad for backing out and leaving this gaping, black hole after “Chasse-Neige”! 😁 But I had to do it. The pressure was getting to be too much. I may still learn and play it if I can somehow fit it into my practice schedule between now and then. But… didn’t say something about possibly joining this endeavor and playing one Étude himself? This piece seems tailored to his prodigious abilities!
- Mark_Cooper
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  hi Alexander
  
  unfortunately I also have a full plate , I’ve got A Mus A exam around that time. However I’ve had a quick look at it , wasn’t familiar with this piece but sounds brilliant!
  Noel , I’ll stick with the Liebestraum for now , but I’ll see if I can prepare the first 2-3 pages at least of chasse neige. ( no way I can do all of it ) , I’ll let you know closer to the date how it’s progressing , in the meantime leave it open to any other volunteers…
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Don't feel bad, especially if you're sparing me from Wilde Jagd🤣.
  
  As regards 's Chasse-Neige, you've been reading my mind. I wouldn't want to burden him with such a tall order (not that he'd have any trouble with it, but surely he has other projects!), but let's just say it would be the most epic plot twist in the history of community challenges!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  great; that’s the spirit! As an incentive - I have shared this recording elsewhere (one of my absolute favorite piano performances on YouTube, ever), but I will share it again because I’m obsessed with it. This is what this piece is supposed to sound like:
  
  https://youtu.be/kD_HJCeaGsM?si=e7R862vxa3yAfzDM
- Mark_Cooper
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  yes , I came across this recording, incredible…
- Noel_Nguyen
- 3 wk ago
- Reported - view
Liszt of participants updated:

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": Noel Nguyen

No. 7 - "Eroica": Dustin Anderson, Marc M?

No. 8 - "Wilde Jagd": Alexander Weymann

No. 9 - "Ricordanza": Angela Fogg

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

No. 11 - "Harmonies du soir": Astrida

No. 12 - "Chasse-neige": Volunteers needed. (Certainly not me, at least not the entire piece😆). *Incentive: to whomever volunteers to play the entire piece, I will share my secret link to the complete Virtuosity in a Box series by Taubman (all 10 volumes)!

Encores:

La Campanella: Sindre Skarelven (to be confirmed)

Liebestraum no.3: Mark Cooper
- TT2022
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  i just saw your post, and seeing the 10-box Taubman technique added as an incentive made me laugh! This challenge is super cool. I’m enjoying this from the peanut gallery!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  The offer still stands, for whomever volunteers to play the entire Chasse-Neige. It could be you!
- TT2022
  
  3 wk ago
  
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  I politely un-volunteer myself for this exciting challenge hehe! Can’t wait to watch you all.
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
  
  Sindre_Skarelven
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Are you sure about that, Tammy!? It’s very cozy pieces by Liszt, so you could consider un-un-volunteer… :P
- TT2022
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Un-un-volunteer is going to be the word of the year!
- Noel_Nguyen
- 3 wk ago
- Reported - view
Re: Chasse-Neige, since it's probably the most stamina-demanding Etude, how about a joint effort?? I MIGHT accept to submit a section, like 4 pages. Maybe. Just not the whole piece.

But come on, friends, we cannot fail to complete the marathon just before the finish line!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I know, right? It’s a Lord-of-the-Rings level task, except instead of making the perilous journey into Mordor to drop the One Ring into the fiery chasm of Mount Doom, our Fellowship must make the equally dreadful journey through S. 139 to drop 12 ghastly études into the digital depths of YouTube (or Vimeo). It will require painful sacrifices of all of us, but it must be done. I vow to give it my best! That’s all any of us can do.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Epic! One of my top 3 favorite movie scenes of all time is when Sam tells Frodo "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you!".
  
  I'm afraid we're all Frodo's here, in desperate need of a... @Samwise_Cheli🤣
  
  Edit: just kidding of course, he's much more of a Gandalf!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  yes!!! to all of that
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
  
  Sindre_Skarelven
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Well, to quote Boromir “One does not simply play Chasse-Neige”… :P
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Excellent!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  3 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  O.K., so I had a piano lesson today and told my teacher about this project. I told him that I would resume my work on “Wilde Jagd” for this (I had been distracted by a couple of other big pieces lately); this announcement was met with strong approval. Then I mentioned that no real takers had come forward for “Chasse-Neige”, such that I was very seriously wondering whether I should try to learn that, too, or whether he would advise against it because it would be unrealistic and unreasonable. His exasperated answer was “no, and no” (= he certainly wouldn’t advise me to tackle it, but he also won’t forbid it and would support and help me if I did). “When did you ever listen to me when I told you not to play something? Exactly. “ But this still doesn’t mean that I commit to delivering a full performance of the piece by the end of the Challenge, only that I’ll work on it as much as I can to get as far as possible.