I enjoyed hearing you talk out loud about what you're thinking and seeing while you're playing Lizst. And I learned a few things that would not or do not come to my mind while I'm playing. As a late beginner, most of my focus is on playing notes accurately and keeping up with the rhythm. Further, I'm not playing Lizst or Gershwin. I am currently trying to play the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time." Regardless, the next time that I sit down at my piano, I will look at my sheet music to see if I see any notations regarding p or f or poco this or poco that. Maybe with more practice I'll get good enough to follow those instructions. I appreciate your practice and playing tips for those of us who weren't music majors. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing where you’re at in your journey and what you’re working on currently! I am glad to get connected with learners at various stages and am happy that these tips can be used for no matter what you’re working on. Doesn’t matter if it’s Liszt, or the Beatles. It’s all just a variation of the same thing, and that’s what makes music so fun! I’m not too far removed from my beginner days as I work with beginners all the time. Popular songs are just as fun. And I do love the Beatles! Thanks for the comment again!
It’s interesting to know that one can approach “classical” music in a creative way. It’s not just playing the notes exactly as intended by the composer. Adding your own perspective makes the piece unique. Why should jazz musicians have all the fun. 😊
100%. Classical music often gets a bad rep for being “rigid” but actually many of these composers were the greatest improvisers and creatives themselves
Is the hardest part of this piece something Liszt would have written out and played the same way every time or would he have improvised this a different way every time he performed it?
It is improvisatory in nature because the better term to describe it is it being a cadenza. A cadenza is a passage in a piece of music (or section in this case) where a soloist plays or sings alone, usually near the end of a movement. The soloist plays in a free rhythmic style, often displaying virtuosity. Since this is a solo piano work, there is only one soloist to begin with, but this is in nature a cadenza due to its characteristics like free rhythm and it’s near the end of a section. However, I’m not entirely sure of all the specifics of Liszt’s intentions with it. I’m assuming he wrote it out for it to be distributed but he could have done whatever he wanted in concert playing it freely/showy since he was somewhat of a “pop star.”
6 beats, 12 notes, 2 notes on each beat. Lizt is fooling you, the highest note in the arpeggio is not on a beat... later, playing faster, the accent will become less clear and the arpeggios will seem "normal"...
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I enjoyed hearing you talk out loud about what you're thinking and seeing while you're playing Lizst. And I learned a few things that would not or do not come to my mind while I'm playing.
As a late beginner, most of my focus is on playing notes accurately and keeping up with the rhythm. Further, I'm not playing Lizst or Gershwin. I am currently trying to play the Beatles' "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time." Regardless, the next time that I sit down at my piano, I will look at my sheet music to see if I see any notations regarding p or f or poco this or poco that. Maybe with more practice I'll get good enough to follow those instructions.
I appreciate your practice and playing tips for those of us who weren't music majors. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing where you’re at in your journey and what you’re working on currently! I am glad to get connected with learners at various stages and am happy that these tips can be used for no matter what you’re working on. Doesn’t matter if it’s Liszt, or the Beatles. It’s all just a variation of the same thing, and that’s what makes music so fun!
I’m not too far removed from my beginner days as I work with beginners all the time. Popular songs are just as fun. And I do love the Beatles!
Thanks for the comment again!
It’s interesting to know that one can approach “classical” music in a creative way. It’s not just playing the notes exactly as intended by the composer. Adding your own perspective makes the piece unique. Why should jazz musicians have all the fun. 😊
100%. Classical music often gets a bad rep for being “rigid” but actually many of these composers were the greatest improvisers and creatives themselves
Is the hardest part of this piece something Liszt would have written out and played the same way every time or would he have improvised this a different way every time he performed it?
It is improvisatory in nature because the better term to describe it is it being a cadenza. A cadenza is a passage in a piece of music (or section in this case) where a soloist plays or sings alone, usually near the end of a movement. The soloist plays in a free rhythmic style, often displaying virtuosity.
Since this is a solo piano work, there is only one soloist to begin with, but this is in nature a cadenza due to its characteristics like free rhythm and it’s near the end of a section.
However, I’m not entirely sure of all the specifics of Liszt’s intentions with it. I’m assuming he wrote it out for it to be distributed but he could have done whatever he wanted in concert playing it freely/showy since he was somewhat of a “pop star.”
6 beats, 12 notes, 2 notes on each beat. Lizt is fooling you, the highest note in the arpeggio is not on a beat... later, playing faster, the accent will become less clear and the arpeggios will seem "normal"...
Great observation!