Transcendental Liszt

The Transcendental Études (French: Études d'exécution transcendante), S.139, are a set of twelve compositions for piano by Franz Liszt. They were published in 1852 as a revision of an 1837 set (which had not borne the title "d'exécution transcendante"), which in turn were – for the most part – an elaboration of a set of studies written in 1826.

Musically, Franz Liszt (1811–1886) is one of the most written about but least understood composers of the 19th century. As for his life—Felix Mendelssohn observed that Liszt's character was "a continual alternation between scandal and apotheosis." "Scandal and apotheosis"? What could that possibly mean? Join music professor Robert Greenberg for these lectures, and go on a fascinating journey in search of the truth about both. "Franz Liszt, Both Sides Now," you might call it.

Musically, Franz Liszt (1811–1886) is one of the most written about but least understood composers of the 19th century. As for his life—Felix Mendelssohn observed that Liszt's character was "a continual alternation between scandal and apotheosis." "Scandal and apotheosis"? What could that possibly mean? Join music professor Robert Greenberg for these lectures, and go on a fascinating journey in search of the truth about both. "Franz Liszt, Both Sides Now," you might call it.

The Transcendental Études form a cycle of twelve pieces whose composition began in 1826 and was completed in 1851. Starting from the idea of an encyclopædic collection which, in the manner of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Liszt’s Transcendental Études became something of a seismograph of his compositional aesthetic, first strongly under the influence of Paganini, later more in the style of character pieces.

For Yoav Levanon, Franz Liszt is “an artist whose impact on the music world is immeasurable,” and “a supportive, loving and understanding presence that has accompanied me throughout my journey as a pianist and musician.” Works by Liszt have graced two of Levanon’s three previous Warner Classics recordings, and now the young Israeli-born pianist has recorded the twelve Transcendental Etudes, a high point in the Romantic repertoire for piano. The term ‘transcendental’ applies to the capacities required of the performer, but it also embraces the mystical and spiritual implications of the music. “When I approached the Transcendental Etudes – that name of glory which still strikes awe in the world of pianists – I knew I wanted to make one thing clear,” says Levanon. “That this project was never about virtuosity for its own sake. Instead, it was about what virtuosity allows us to uncover … The deeper I went, the more I recognised the extraordinary expressive range of the Etudes – emotional, spiritual … even symphonic in scale. Each piece is a universe of its own. These works are layered, complex, and endlessly revealing. They invite us into vast inner landscapes, full of hidden colours and meanings that demand something far deeper than brilliance."

The late Lazar Berman (1930-2005) recorded two complete cycles of Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes for Melodiya. His 1959 version appeared in the long-deleted BMG/Melodiya Russian Piano School CD reissue series. The 1963 remake presented here was briefly available via Japanese Victor and as part of a three-disc set on the independent Venezia label, while Columbia Masterworks brought it out on LP in the mid-’70s to tie in with the pianist’s first American tour.