[Highest Difficulty] A selection of challenging pieces crafted by Liszt, the magician of the piano
Franz Liszt, the “magician of the piano,” was active as a pianist armed with extraordinary technique, while also leaving behind numerous piano works that demand transcendental virtuosity as a composer.
His dazzling, grandiose works have captivated many, but the honest truth is that many of them simply cannot be mastered without superhuman technique, making them hard to attempt even for those who long to play them.
This time, we’ve carefully selected and will introduce pieces among Liszt’s oeuvre that are considered particularly difficult.
It’s easy to get fixated on the technical challenges, but as you read, please also pay attention to the sheer beauty of the music itself and the vast, majestic sound world Liszt creates.
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- [Advanced] A Comprehensive Introduction to the Difficult Piano Pieces of Chopin, the Poet of the Piano!
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- Beginner to Intermediate: Chopin pieces with relatively low difficulty. Recommended works by Chopin.
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[Highest Difficulty] A curated selection of challenging pieces by Liszt, the piano magician (11–20)
Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Liszt
Among Franz Liszt’s many works that demand transcendental virtuosity, the Spanish Rhapsody is regarded as one of the most technically challenging.
It is often performed at international competitions, and it is said that not many pianists can truly master it.
Elements that contribute to its high difficulty are scattered throughout—blistering scales, powerful chords, extended passages of octaves—and the frequent arpeggios are one such element.
From fierce arpeggios to soft, shimmering ones, the piece lets you enjoy a wide range of textures within a single work, making it a highly compelling listen.
Chromatic Grand GallopFranz Liszt
Liszt’s masterpiece “Grand Galop Chromatique.” Along with “Mazeppa” and “Feux Follets” from the Transcendental Études, it’s renowned as one of Liszt’s notoriously difficult works.
The biggest challenge of this piece is undoubtedly the intricate motions using the 4th and 5th fingers.
On top of a fiendish layout that makes your fingers feel on the verge of cramping, it unleashes wide leaps and repeated octaves.
It’s a piece that even solid advanced players will find hard to execute accurately.
Compared to other Liszt works, its showy effect is somewhat lower, but for those who love the sound of augmented triads and whole-tone scales, it will hit the sweet spot.
Years of Pilgrimage, Book II: Italy, S.161 — No. 7 “Après une lecture de Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata”Franz Liszt
For those who want to perform a lesser-known piece at a piano recital, I recommend Liszt’s “Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie, S.161, No.
7 ‘Après une lecture du Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata.’” In terms of difficulty, it’s easier than Chopin’s Fantasy and not prohibitively hard, yet it’s perfect for showcasing solid technique.
Unusually for Liszt, it has a high performance payoff, so it’s enjoyable even as a straightforward piece.
The leaps in the coda are quite challenging, so if you’re confident in your technique, definitely give it a try.
Transcendental Etude No. 7 ‘Heroic’Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt’s representative collection of fiendish pieces, the Transcendental Études.
It includes extremely difficult works like Mazeppa and Feux follets.
This time, I’d like to introduce No.
7, “Heroic,” from the set.
In Japan, it’s also well known by its Italian title, Eroica.
What makes this piece particularly challenging is the sheer abundance of arpeggios.
While it isn’t the most advanced piece in the set overall, its arpeggios are extraordinarily difficult.
Three Concert Études, S.144 No. 2 “Lightness”Franz Liszt
Liszt composed numerous fearsomely difficult études.
The Transcendental Études and the Grandes études de Paganini are famous, but this time I’d like to introduce an étude with a salon character.
That is Trois études de concert, S.144 No.
2, “La leggierezza.” Its striking design shifts from triplets to septuplets, and the right hand is packed with a variety of techniques.
In terms of concrete difficulty, it’s roughly on par with the first half of Czerny’s Op.
740.
It’s unquestionably advanced, so be sure to check it out.