[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.

Playlist

[Highest Difficulty] A selection of challenging pieces crafted by Liszt, the magician of the piano
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Grandes études de Paganini, S.141 No. 3 “La Campanella”Franz Liszt		Liszt’s extremely difficult piece La Campanella
2	Transcendental Étude No. 5 “Will-o’-the-Wisp”Franz Liszt		Liszt’s Transcendental Étude “Feux Follets” (Will-o’-the-Wisps)
3	Years of Pilgrimage, Second Year – Supplement: “Venice and Naples,” S.162, No. 3: “Tarantella”Franz Liszt		It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it the culmination of Franz Liszt’s work…
4	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2Franz Liszt		The pia—who composed numerous extremely challenging pieces requiring virtuosic technique…
5	Legend S.175 No. 2 “St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Waves”Franz Liszt		Even when we simply say “a difficult piece,” there are many different kinds...
6	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6Franz Liszt		Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 is advanced difficulty
7	Transcendental Étude No. 4 “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt		Among all piano works, it's among the very best...
8	Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto, S.434Franz Liszt		Rigoletto Concert Paraphrase
9	Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178Franz Liszt		Liszt's piano sonata requires highly advanced technique
10	Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S.514Franz Liszt		Liszt’s difficult piece, Mephisto Waltz
11	Spanish Rhapsody, S.254Franz Liszt		Fran..., who left behind numerous pieces that require virtuoso-level technique
12	Chromatic Grand GallopFranz Liszt		A masterpiece on the list, “Grand Chromatic Galop.” “...
13	Years of Pilgrimage, Book II: Italy, S.161 — No. 7 “Après une lecture de Dante – Fantasia quasi Sonata”Franz Liszt		Liszt: Années de pèlerinage – Italy. For a recital.
14	Transcendental Etude No. 7 ‘Heroic’Franz Liszt		Introduction to the Difficult Piece: Liszt’s Transcendental Étude No. 7
15	Three Concert Études, S.144 No. 2 “Lightness”Franz Liszt		Liszt’s Concert Études, difficulty: advanced level
16	Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S.514 “Dance in the Village Inn”Franz Liszt		Introduction to Liszt’s Passionate Waltz Pieces
17	Transcendental Étude No. 5 “Will-o’-the-Wisp”Franz Liszt		Liszt's Feux follets, a masterpiece of transcendental technique and poetic expression
18	Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor, S.244Franz Liszt		Crafted by Franz Liszt, the magician of the piano…
19	“Arpeggio,” No. 4 from the Grandes études de PaganiniFranz Liszt		Liszt, Grand Piano Variations on a Theme of Paganini