Franz Liszt Popular Song Ranking [2026]

Poetic and Religious Melody No. 6: Hymn to the Child Awakened from SleepFranz Liszt92rank/position

List: Poetic and Religious Melody, Hymn to the Child Awakened from Sleep pf. Haruko Seki: Seki, Seiko

A piano collection composed with free imagination and consisting of ten pieces of varying scale, Harmonies poétiques et religieuses.

Said to have been inspired by the poems of the French Romantic poet Alphonse de Lamartine, its sixth piece, Hymne de l’enfant à son réveil (Hymn of a Child on Awakening), is an arrangement for solo piano of Franz Liszt’s choral work of the same name.

While based on the choral piece, it incorporates melodies that draw out the piano’s timbral beauty to the fullest, resulting in a richly varied and rewarding work to perform.

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Transcendental Études, S.139 No. 12 “Snowstorm”Franz Liszt93rank/position

List: Transcendental Etude No. 12 “Snowstorm” [Naxos Classic Curation #Melancholic]

Transcendental Études, S.139, composed by Franz Liszt—the piano magician whose works demand exceptional virtuosity.

Among them, the piece regarded as the pinnacle of difficulty is No.

12, “Chasse-neige” (Snowstorm).

The quietly falling snow gradually gains force, erupting into a blinding blizzard! The lightning-fast repeated notes, executed with transcendental technique, evoke the unpredictable ferocity of nature.

Starting with “Chasse-neige,” Liszt’s études are all extraordinarily challenging works.

With more time spent at home during the winter, it might be a great opportunity to sit down and carefully practice them on the piano.

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Transcendental Études, S.139 No. 4 “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt94rank/position

Nobuyuki Tsujii / Liszt: Transcendental Études – No. 4 “Mazeppa”

This piece is one of the signature works by Franz Liszt, a towering master who shines brilliantly in the history of classical music.

Composed when he was just 15 and later revised to its final form, it portrays a grand narrative inspired by Victor Hugo’s epic poem, employing transcendental virtuosity.

With bell-like sonorities, hoofbeat-like figures, and a complex three-stave layout, it is a work of formidable technical and musical difficulty.

Within roughly seven and a half minutes, it condenses the fierce adventures of Mazeppa, making it a highly recommended piece not only for those seeking to master pianistic technique, but also for anyone wishing to savor the art of storytelling through music.

Transcendental Étude No. 4 in D minor, “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt95rank/position

LISZT:Etudes D’execution Transcendante No.4 Mazeppa

It was used in the commercial for Casio’s digital piano, Privia.

The video includes sheet music, so I hope you’ll check it out.

I’m completely overwhelmed—both visually and aurally—by the densely packed notes and the torrent of sound.

Transcendental Étude No. 4 “Mazeppa,” S.139/4, R.2bFranz Liszt96rank/position

Miroslav Kultyshev – Mazeppa

Born in 1811, Liszt was known as a virtuoso pianist and enjoyed popularity throughout Europe.

This work, inspired by an epic poem by Victor Hugo, was completed in 1851.

Liszt first composed it at the age of fifteen and later revised it multiple times.

The protagonist’s fate, bound to a horse, is depicted through intense cascades of sound and tolling bells, gripping the listener’s heart.

Demanding advanced technique, this piece is recommended for piano enthusiasts and music students.

Experience a work brimming with Liszt’s passion and virtuosity.

Transcendental Étude No. 1 “Prelude”Franz Liszt97rank/position

List: Transcendental Etudes No. 1 “Prelude” by F. Liszt / Masaya Kamei

This is a work by Franz Liszt, who was active as a pianist and composer and left behind numerous highly challenging piano pieces.

The Transcendental Études contain twelve studies for piano, and the opening piece, “Prélude,” is brimming with excitement that builds anticipation for the pieces to follow.

Among this collection of notoriously difficult études, it is relatively short and comparatively approachable to play, so if you play the piano and want to experience Liszt’s unique musical world, be sure to give it a try!

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List: Années de pèlerinage, Première année “Suisse”, S.160/R.10, A159 No. 3 “Pastorale”. Pf. Mikiko Yamamoto: Yamamoto, MikikoFranz Liszt98rank/position

List: Years of Pilgrimage, First Year 'Switzerland', S.160/R.10, A159 No. 3 'Pastoral' (Pastorale) Pf. Mikiko Yamamoto: Yamamoto, Mikiko

This is one of Liszt’s pastoral pieces.

It belongs to the musical genre known as the eclogue and aptly conveys the pastoral mood.

It is as if the countryside and the daily life of shepherds are being communicated through the music.