A masterpiece by Franz Liszt. Popular classical music.
We introduce the masterpieces of Franz Liszt, who was born in Hungary and was active across Europe, including Germany and Austria.
From the works of Liszt—renowned as a pianist and also a composer for famous pieces such as La Campanella and Liebesträume—we present recommended and representative masterpieces, including not only piano works but also symphonic pieces performed by orchestra.
Please enjoy the many wonderful masterpieces by this composer, known as the “Magician of the Piano” for the anecdote that he could sight-read and master any piece.
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Franz Liszt’s masterpieces: Popular classical music (81–90)
Grand Études after Paganini No. 3 “La Campanella,” S.141Franz Liszt
Known as an exceptionally difficult piece, Grandes études de Paganini No.
3 “La Campanella,” S.141 is, needless to say, one of Franz Liszt’s masterpieces.
One of the elements that raises this work’s difficulty is the leaps! Fast passages with leaps appear frequently in Liszt’s works, but La Campanella is in a class of its own.
You must thoroughly memorize it and practice the sections where the left and right hands move far apart.
Furthermore, because there are simply so many extremely fast passages, it’s crucial to build solid technique through patient, careful practice.
Grandes études de Paganini, S.141 No. 3 “La Campanella”Franz Liszt
When people hear “a difficult piano piece,” many probably picture La Campanella.
This work was composed by the great Franz Liszt, famous for leaving behind numerous piano pieces that demand transcendental technique.
Its difficulty is extremely high, and performing it solidly at a proper level is challenging even for advanced players.
In particular, the abundance of repeated notes and wide leaps on the keyboard is astounding, and on top of that, it requires a high degree of expressive ability.
If you can perform this piece well, you can proudly call yourself a skilled pianist without any problem.
Grand Etudes after Paganini, No. 3 ‘La Campanella’Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt, a composer representative of the Romantic era, was a great musician who combined extraordinary piano virtuosity with exceptional compositional talent.
One of Liszt’s most renowned piano etudes is La Campanella, the third piece from his Grandes études de Paganini, which uses the theme from Niccolò Paganini’s Violin Concerto No.
2 in B minor, Op.
7.
This piece, a bold attempt to express advanced violin techniques on the piano, is known as a work of transcendental difficulty that demands outstanding skill from the performer, featuring fifteenth-interval leaps, repeated octaves, trills, and more.
It is a piece that advanced players eager to explore the limits of the piano should definitely take on.
Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178Franz Liszt
Liszt’s works have structures and developments that are quintessentially Lisztian.
Among them, the Piano Sonata in B minor, S.178, is one of the pieces that is particularly “Liszt-like.” Although it is somewhat easier compared to the Transcendental Études, it still ranks among the upper tier of advanced repertoire, demanding a wide range of techniques—from massive fortissimo repeated chords to extremely rapid passages.
It may look simple on the score, but once you actually play it, you’ll find it to be a challenging work.
Piano Sonata in D minorFranz Liszt
Franz Liszt left an enormous number of works for the piano and gained renown as an outstanding pianist himself.
This piece is composed by applying his method of compressing the three movements he used in his symphonic poems into a single movement.
It employs the technique of “thematic transformation,” in which elements of a theme are transformed in various ways to generate new themes.
The principal theme introduced at the beginning reappears throughout the piece in many different guises, shaping the overall structure.
Enjoy listening as the theme evolves!
Mephisto Waltz No. 1Franz Liszt
A notoriously difficult piece packed with virtuoso techniques characteristic of Franz Liszt.
Mephistopheles plays a waltz on the violin, and the people dance.
Eventually, after spotting a girl named Margarete, Mephistopheles slips away with her into the forest.
The piece vividly depicts scenes such as a nightingale singing in the night sky.
Rather than an elegant waltz, it overflows with an overwhelming energy more akin to wild, ecstatic revelry, allowing one to fully savor the splendor of grand piano virtuosity.
Mephisto Waltz No. 1: “Dance at the Village Inn”Franz Liszt
One of the difficult pieces lavishly packed with Liszt-like virtuosic techniques.
Mephisto plays a waltz on the violin, and people begin to dance.
Eventually, Mephisto finds a girl named Margarete and slips away with her into the forest.
The piece vividly depicts such scenes, with a nightingale singing in the night sky.
Rather than an elegant waltz, it brims with overwhelming energy—more a frenzy of ecstatic revelry—offering a piece where one can fully savor magnificent piano virtuosity.
La Campanella: Grandes études de PaganiniFranz Liszt
“La Campanella” means “the little bell” in Italian.
The composer Liszt, impressed by the virtuosity of the genius violinist Paganini, composed it out of a desire to express similarly transcendental technique himself.
Symphonic poem ‘Les Préludes (The Preludes)’Franz Liszt
This is a symphonic poem composed by Franz Liszt in 1854.
Among the thirteen symphonic poems he wrote, it is perhaps the most frequently performed.
A symphonic poem is an orchestral work based on the content of a poem, and the form is said to have been pioneered by Liszt.
This particular piece was inspired by a poem by Alphonse de Lamartine and conveys the idea that life is a prelude to death.
Its dramatic development is captivating, and simply listening to the music allows one to sense the poem’s content.
Symphonic Poem “Les Préludes”Franz Liszt
The third symphonic poem Franz Liszt, known as the “Magician of the Piano,” released after retiring as a pianist to devote himself to composing and conducting.
This symphonic poem bears a program that begins, “Our life is a prelude to death.” The piece is performed without breaks and consists of four sections that evoke “the beginning of life, love,” “the storm,” “the pastoral,” and “the battle.” Please enjoy this drama of life, painted with the rich colors of the orchestra.