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
- 2 wk 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!
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  2 wk 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
  
  2 wk 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!
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
- Maria_F
- 2 wk 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.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
- Maria_F
- 2 wk 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
  
  2 wk 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.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I assume I just have to practice a lot.
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  we all will have to do that for this particular Challenge; you’ll be in excellent, exhausted company. 😁
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I have to practice a minimum of 4 hours a day, according to my teacher.
- Mark_Cooper
  
  2 wk 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
  
  2 wk 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.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  Yes, I know they are all full of leaps, and I also have small hands.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk 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
  
  2 wk 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
  
  2 wk 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.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  La Campanella and Mazeppa also have many large jumps.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk 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?
- Astrida_Gobina
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I guess you can just skip playing upper F in the LH there. Play just the bass and jump to E to continue running. Nobody will notice it in the thick storm of the passage.
- Akzent oder Diminuendo? • Hanon/Herz student
  
  Maria_F
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I had considered that. I prefer not to modify passages but it may be necessary.
- Astrida_Gobina
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  I understand you completely. I’m very stubborn in this regard as well. It was not easy for me write the comment, and now to see it written even less LOL. I even stopped bringing a piece to lessons because my teacher strongly suggested redividing hands. Until I learned it “my way”.
  However, for this project, I looked up Henle edition and saw Boris Giltburg’s anarchical fingering ideas. I’m not happy to admit, but I might go along with him in some spots in my etude. Ahh, I’m getting lazier by days. 😂
- Noel_Nguyen
- 2 wk ago
- Reported - view
said:
Also, what about Hungarian Rhapsody no. 6, the Sonata in B Minor, and Grand Galop Chromatique?

Played all of them during my conservatory years. They were all fiendishly difficult to learn, yet clearly written by a virtuoso pianist (of course😆). I find that with Liszt I progress in quantum leaps while learning the pieces. It's like finding a secret key. Satisfying, even if it may take countless hours. With less pianistic music (e.g., Beethoven, Schumann, parts of Schubert) I find that I just have to suffer through endless repetitions before my proficiency gradually and painfully progresses. Much less pleasant.

Btw thanks for mentioning the Grand Galop, I had completely forgotten about that piece, but now I remember it was especially fun to play (after solving its challenges!) so may relearn it for myself!
- Der Wanderer
  
  FRANZ_SCHUBERT
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  RE: With less pianistic music (e.g., Beethoven, Schumann, parts of Schubert)...
  
  I don't know why but this statement just bruised my touchy, overly sensitive soul. I may need to seek some form of intensive therapy now? 😪
  
  Just joking, however, I do understand the sentiment as the more I get familiar with each great composer, I realize just how differently each one approaches the keyboard. And then to complicate it, we as individuals will vary widely on our opinions on which composers we find affinity with largely based on the ease or difficulty we experience in navigating these works.
  
  ...written from the bitter musings of a 2046 team Chasse-Neige participant. (don't anyone hold me to this..)
- Noel_Nguyen
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  If anything, I'm the one who would require therapy, IF I wanted to play that repertoire, which I don't 😁. And yet I love to listen to it, especially Beethoven.
- Der Wanderer
  
  FRANZ_SCHUBERT
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  🤯
  
  ;-)
- Pediatrician
  
  a_weymann
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  too late. I have already set a calendar reminder on my phone for 20 years from now. Start practicing! 😁
- Der Wanderer
  
  FRANZ_SCHUBERT
  
  2 wk ago
  
  Reported - view
  The stress is getting overwhelming and I already feel behind on my practice schedule. I do reserve the right to add more time in 5 year increments as I deem necessary.