Three Concert Etudes
Encyclopedia
Trois études de concert S.144, are a series of three piano
étude
s by Franz Liszt
, composed c. 1848. They are intended not only for the acquisition of a better technique, but also for concert performance. The Italian subtitles now associated with the studies - Il lamento ("The Lament"), La leggierezza ("Lightness"), Un sospiro ("A sigh") - were not in early editions.
's Three Concert Studies. It is also sometimes referred to as Étude No. 39, and is a piano
solo in D-flat major. However, it is likely that the title did not originate with Liszt. Although there is no evidence that he actively attempted to remove the subtitle "Un sospiro," none of the editions or subsequent printings of the Trois études published by Kistner during Liszt's lifetime used them; he simply ignored such subtitles in later years, always referring with his pupils to the piece by key.
The étude is a study in crossing hands, playing a simple melody with alternating hands, and arpeggios
. It is also a study in the way hands should affect the melody with its many accentuations, or phrasing with alternating hands. The melody is quite dramatic, almost Impressionistic, radically changing in dynamics at times, and has inspired many listeners.
Un sospiro consists of a flowing background superimposed by a simple melody written in the third staff. This third staff—an additional treble staff—is written with the direction to the performer that notes with the stem up are for the right hand and notes with the stem down are for the left hand. The background alternates between the left and right hands in such a way that for most of the piece, while the left hand is playing the harmony, the right hand is playing the melody, and vice versa, with the left hand crossing over the right as it continues the melody for a short while before regressing again. There are also small cadenza sections requiring delicate fingerwork throughout the middle section of the piece.
Towards the end, after the main climax of the piece, both hands are needed to cross in an even more complex pattern. Since there are so many notes to be played rapidly and they are too far away from other clusters of notes that must be played as well, the hands are required to cross multiple times to reach dramatic notes near the end of the piece on the last page.
This étude, along with the other Trois études, was written in dedication to Liszt's uncle, Eduard Liszt (1817–1879), the youngest son of Liszt's grandfather and the stepbrother of his own father. Eduard handled Liszt's business affairs for more than thirty years until his death in 1879.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
étude
Étude
An étude , is an instrumental musical composition, most commonly of considerable difficulty, usually designed to provide practice material for perfecting a particular technical skill. The tradition of writing études emerged in the early 19th century with the rapidly growing popularity of the piano...
s by Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, composed c. 1848. They are intended not only for the acquisition of a better technique, but also for concert performance. The Italian subtitles now associated with the studies - Il lamento ("The Lament"), La leggierezza ("Lightness"), Un sospiro ("A sigh") - were not in early editions.
Un sospiro
Un sospiro (Italian for "A sigh") is the third of Franz LisztFranz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
's Three Concert Studies. It is also sometimes referred to as Étude No. 39, and is a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
solo in D-flat major. However, it is likely that the title did not originate with Liszt. Although there is no evidence that he actively attempted to remove the subtitle "Un sospiro," none of the editions or subsequent printings of the Trois études published by Kistner during Liszt's lifetime used them; he simply ignored such subtitles in later years, always referring with his pupils to the piece by key.
The étude is a study in crossing hands, playing a simple melody with alternating hands, and arpeggios
Arpeggio
An arpeggio is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously...
. It is also a study in the way hands should affect the melody with its many accentuations, or phrasing with alternating hands. The melody is quite dramatic, almost Impressionistic, radically changing in dynamics at times, and has inspired many listeners.
Un sospiro consists of a flowing background superimposed by a simple melody written in the third staff. This third staff—an additional treble staff—is written with the direction to the performer that notes with the stem up are for the right hand and notes with the stem down are for the left hand. The background alternates between the left and right hands in such a way that for most of the piece, while the left hand is playing the harmony, the right hand is playing the melody, and vice versa, with the left hand crossing over the right as it continues the melody for a short while before regressing again. There are also small cadenza sections requiring delicate fingerwork throughout the middle section of the piece.
Towards the end, after the main climax of the piece, both hands are needed to cross in an even more complex pattern. Since there are so many notes to be played rapidly and they are too far away from other clusters of notes that must be played as well, the hands are required to cross multiple times to reach dramatic notes near the end of the piece on the last page.
This étude, along with the other Trois études, was written in dedication to Liszt's uncle, Eduard Liszt (1817–1879), the youngest son of Liszt's grandfather and the stepbrother of his own father. Eduard handled Liszt's business affairs for more than thirty years until his death in 1879.
In film
- The piece was used as the recurring musical theme in the 1948 Max OphülsMax OphülsMaximillian Oppenheimer — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German-born film director who worked in Germany , France , the United States , and France again...
film Letter from an Unknown WomanLetter from an Unknown Woman (1948 film)Letter from an Unknown Woman is a film directed by Max Ophüls. It was based on the novella of the same name, which was written by Stefan Zweig... - It was the main theme from the Franz Liszt bio picture of 1960, Song Without EndSong Without EndSong Without End, subtitled The Story of Franz Liszt is a biographical film romance made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Charles Vidor, who died during the shooting of the picture and was replaced by George Cukor. It was produced by William Goetz from a screenplay by Oscar Millard,...
. - It was featured in the 2009 TV show KingsKings (U.S. TV series)Kings is an American television drama series which aired on NBC. The series' narrative is loosely based on the Biblical story of King David, but set in a kingdom that culturally and technologically resembles the present-day United States....
twice in the pilot - It appeared in the 2011 film The Green HornetThe Green Hornet (2011 film)The Green Hornet is a 2011 American superhero action-comedy film based on the character of the same name that had originated in a 1930s radio program and has appeared in movie serials, a television series, comic books, and other media...
when the character Kato is playing the piano with Lenore on their first date.
External links
- Recording of Concert Etude No. 2 by Boris GiltburgBoris GiltburgBoris Giltburg is an Israeli-Russian classical pianist . - Biography and career :Giltburg was born in Moscow, Russia, and began studying piano with his mother at the age of five...
in MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format - Recording of Un sospiro by Peter Roper-Curzon
- Recording of Un sospiro by Serg van Gennip