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
Well, I may have reached a milestone. I have just finished memorizing all my repertoire, which means the fingerings are all memorized. Unfortunately, unlike my partner in crime , figuring out the fingerings is much, much less than half the battle for me. Still, I will savor each victory no matter how microscopic.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Wow! Unbelievable. I’m hideously and hopelessly behind. Although I also don’t have as much repertoire to learn as you do.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I have memorized my part of Chasse-Neige but am behind on Paysage!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Brava! Less pressure now, since Thurmond already recorded his Paysage anyway. But I'm sure you can do it!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I guess the love for the music helps! The ending of Chasse-Neige is something else! Makes me feel like I have just finished the epic journey of all 12 Etudes, even though I barely played a few bars😅.
  
  And remember, I'm less than halfway through my learning process, unlike you.
- Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
  
  Michelle_Russell
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  great! I find it intriguing how different everyone's learning styles are. Thurmond is a big-picture-first learner, and after he has his vision he then goes back to the details. For him, the details don't make sense until he knows how they fit into the whole.
  
  I'm really looking forward to hearing all of these etudes in July, especially since I know only a couple of them. Thurmond has a goal of playing them all (eventually), so this has been a good start for him. I think he was planning to actually work on Paysage this month for the unfinished business challenge and make a good recording - the previous recording he made was after less than a week of work, and he'd like to put a little more into it!
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I usually listen to the entire piece so I have it memorized and then practice it in sections, paying attention to the details. I sometimes learn a page at a time, but I often divide a piece into sections that musically make sense.
- Mom, fitness instructor, lover of music
  
  Michelle_Russell
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I often, but not always, listen to the piece first, then I look for patterns and similarities. Then fingering. When I begin practicing, I group similar sections into practice segments, which often means that I’m bouncing around the piece in my initial practices. I try to memorize as I go along, but that doesn’t really come together until I begin playing larger musically coherent sections. If it’s singable, I’ll sing one line while playing the other(s), on solfège if I’m feeling industrious. And I often add a rhythm layer in as well, even when the rhythms aren’t necessarily difficult, because tapping the rhythms away from the piano helps me when I start putting everything together.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I almost always listen first; I basically can't read sheet music if I haven't heard the piece first, and listening is also generally how I find pieces to learn.
  
  I usually automatically recognize patterns, but I also often do an informal semi-analysis of the piece, partially because I enjoy doing it, and partially because it is helpful.
  
  I also group similar sections together, but I generally have a piece memorized before I start learning it at the piano. The downside is that it can be annoying when my brain has a piece memorized, but my fingers definitely don't!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I would definitely watch a video of Thurmond sight-reading through the whole set!
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
  
  Sindre_Skarelven
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Wow, that's amazing stuff, Noel! Are we still aiming the Chasse-neige for the October concert, or are everyone doing so well that we might as well play it in the July concert? I just started having a look at my section of the Chasse-neige, so I'm way behind you guys, but it should be okey to get this done before the summer concert. Didn't seem that difficult 🤞🏻. La Campanella on the other hand, that one will probably not be ready in any decent way before October
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I don't know about everyone else, but I think I can complete my part by July!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Thanks!
  
  Unofficially we're aiming the Etudes 1-6 +/- encores for July, and 7-12 + encores for October , so you're good!
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Including your part in Chasse-Neige?
- Pianist, composer and piano teacher
  
  Sindre_Skarelven
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  That's a brilliant plan, Noel! I'm aiming both pieces for October then. Thanks!
- Angela_Fogg
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  thank you for that Noel, October for me is much more manageable!
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  Primarily my part of Chasse-Neige, which I foolishly prioritized over Paysage. I am less sure that I can finish Paysage by July.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I think you did the right thing, since Paysage is already covered. In the worst case you could play it in Oct.
- Mark_Cooper
  
  1 mth ago
  
  Reported - view
  I’m still aiming for Chasse neige in October , I don’t think it will be ready by July , I have my exam commitments….
  
  leibestraum encore in July is fine
  
  I think this fits into the above plan
- Pediatrician
- a_weymann
- 2 wk ago
- Reported - view
My teacher assigned me “Wilde Jagd” six months ago, but until this past week, I had never found the time to really dig into it and make a focused effort to tackle it because I was working on too much other time-consuming literature. Tonight, however, I finished my first definitive fingering for the entire piece, all 12 pages! It may still change here and there as I learn the étude in depth and play it closer to performance tempo, but to have settled on a good, functional initial fingering for each bar always is a huge deal for me because it means that I have analyzed each technical problem at least once or twice and found a solution with which - for now - I am satisfied. Now the hard work of practicing can begin, but a solid foundation has been laid, and that feels great.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo?
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I also haven't had the time to work on Chasse-Neige or Paysage. My teacher wants me to learn all of Chasse-Neige, but she wants me to prioritize learning multiple other pieces that also have deadlines. Thankfully, I should be able to work on Liszt more over summer break.
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  13 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  let's not forget that the Etudes from the second half (incl. Wilde Jagd and Chasse-Neige) are not expected to be ready for the upcoming challenge, so let's not despair, my friends! The illusion that we can make it is still alive, for now😁.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  13 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  I was going to ask about that, just to confirm and not be caught unawares: the word on the street is that for July, we are only doing 1-6? Is that correct? And then 7-12 are to follow in October? And you and Dominic are in agreement about this?
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  13 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  That was the agreement among us Lisztomaniacs, but I haven't asked about a challenge in October yet. This being said, this is a Liszt year, so if he says no, I will organize it myself, guerilla mode! I'm even willing to host it.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  13 days ago
  
  Reported - view
  Phew! My day and my week just got so much better, all of a sudden. Love that plan. I will support you in any and all guerilla activities to make the October sequel happen. (Of course, that also means that I need to get back to working on “Vision” right this minute…)