Liszt B Minor Sonata Options

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

has anyone ever done this sonata? god bless you if you have

[SteveHopwood]

Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

I thought long and hard before replying, because there is the prospect of appearing big-headed. Yes, I have 'done' this piece.

Performed it live.

Analysed it for 'A' level music students (NEAB 1992-1993).

Am I certifiable? Yep. Must be.

Steve :D

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

you've played all 30 or so minutes of it?

[SteveHopwood]

you've played all 30 or so minutes of it?

Yes. And once, I played a bit more. I had described to the audience how the sonata was one of the great Romantic works, lasting upwards of 25 minutes in the hads of a virtuoso, and about 30 minutes in my hands. I had described the major themes, everything.

There is a passage early on that is repeated much later in the work (I will look up bar numbers tomorrow if you reallywant) but that resolves differently and prepares for the cataclysmic finish. Sadly for me (and I learned much from this) the cuff on my left sleeve was not showing to my satisfaction. This really bothered me, to the extent that I stopped concentrating on my playing and concentrated instead on my appearance. As a result, I came out of the early passage thinking about this and not what I was supposed to be doing. I went wrong, and found mysef at the end of the piece instead of early on. I 'waffled on' for a few seconds before admitting defeat, owning up to the audience and starting again. :(

Never made that mistake again. :P

Steve :D

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

im still impressed that people learn such a monster of a piece though! but that must have been REALLY nerve wracking for you though! :(

[Gae]

A mammoth piece in all respects, even outdoing Liszt's other amazing Fantasia quasi Sonata "Apres Une Lecture du Dante" both of which I have tried playing sections of and both of which I have failed miserably in learning completely. As well as being virtuoso pieces the music reaches levels of great profundity in their quieter sections and Liszt music superbly illustrates the eternal struggle of the soul between good and evil, purgatory and redemption.
Funnily enough, the first time I heard the B minor Sonata was in an orchestrated form when it was heavily used in the old Flash Gordon serials and Karloff/Lugosi movies from the 30's. Does anyone remember it always cropping up in these Golden Oldies? It was certainly ideal music for edge-of-the seat suspense and terror!

Gae

[SteveHopwood]

im still impressed that people learn such a monster of a piece though! but that must have been REALLY nerve wracking for you though! :(

I performed it many times subsequently so it did become easier, although I could never claim to have it under control. The two greatest live performances I ever heard of this piece were in madly contrasting venues. The first, in about 1976, was by Clifford Curzon at the Gracie Fields theatre in Rochdale. In a wonderful moment that could not possibly be staged, we could hear the wind whistling through the eaves of the building just as Curzons started that doom-laden first few bars! The second was only a few years ago, by Kissin at the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester. Both performances had the audience on the edge of our seats. Both were full of huge fistfulls bloopers, but the few of us in the audience who knew didn't care, such was the intensity of the playing.

And that, sadly, is all I have in common with these two great soloists. I too play fistfulls of wrong notes. After that, C & K are up in the stratosphere whilst I am still grovelling around in the mud. Hey-ho.

One of the biggest problems facing the soloist is that all the crash and bang usually surrounds a melody that needs bringing out; failing to do so renders the piece meaningless and tedious.

Having played it so often came in really handy when I had to analyse it for my 'A' level students back in 1992. That was a fascinating experience. The piece is a magnificent example of 'thematic metamorphosis'. With the exception of the first melody in the slow section, every theme in the piece derives directly from the motifs on the first page. For example, the bass quavers in bar 14 become the lyrical melody in bar 153, slowed to crotchets, placed in the treble and accompanied by the triplet broken chords. I played the piece for years without spotting this.

Actually, spotting it probably just makes me sad. Hey-ho again.

Steve :D

[sl123451]

ooo my favourite piano piece of all time!

Im determined to play it one day.
My teachers husband played it in a concert, it was fab!

I heard the great Svetioslav Richter on a live recording....outstanding. He made the "fugue" in the 3rd part (if you can call it a sonata with 3 movements) sound like a whirl of voices.

WOW i cant get over the piece.

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

A mammoth piece in all respects, even outdoing Liszt's other amazing Fantasia quasi Sonata "Apres Une Lecture du Dante" both of which I have tried playing sections of and both of which I have failed miserably in learning completely. As well as being virtuoso pieces the music reaches levels of great profundity in their quieter sections and Liszt music superbly illustrates the eternal struggle of the soul between good and evil, purgatory and redemption.
Funnily enough, the first time I heard the B minor Sonata was in an orchestrated form when it was heavily used in the old Flash Gordon serials and Karloff/Lugosi movies from the 30's. Does anyone remember it always cropping up in these Golden Oldies?  It was certainly ideal music for edge-of-the seat suspense and terror!

Gae

THERES AN ORCHESTRAL VERSION?! DO YOU HAVE IT?! :o

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

ooo my favourite piano piece of all time!

Im determined to play it one day.
My teachers husband played it in a concert, it was fab!

I heard the great Svetioslav Richter on a live recording....outstanding. He made the "fugue" in the 3rd part (if you can call it a sonata with 3 movements) sound like a whirl of voices.

WOW i cant get over the piece.

wow, that sounds impressive!!!

[GoneChopinBachSoon]

im still impressed that people learn such a monster of a piece though! but that must have been REALLY nerve wracking for you though! :(

I performed it many times subsequently so it did become easier, although I could never claim to have it under control. The two greatest live performances I ever heard of this piece were in madly contrasting venues. The first, in about 1976, was by Clifford Curzon at the Gracie Fields theatre in Rochdale. In a wonderful moment that could not possibly be staged, we could hear the wind whistling through the eaves of the building just as Curzons started that doom-laden first few bars! The second was only a few years ago, by Kissin at the Bridgwater Hall in Manchester. Both performances had the audience on the edge of our seats. Both were full of huge fistfulls bloopers, but the few of us in the audience who knew didn't care, such was the intensity of the playing.

And that, sadly, is all I have in common with these two great soloists. I too play fistfulls of wrong notes. After that, C & K are up in the stratosphere whilst I am still grovelling around in the mud. Hey-ho.

One of the biggest problems facing the soloist is that all the crash and bang usually surrounds a melody that needs bringing out; failing to do so renders the piece meaningless and tedious.

Having played it so often came in really handy when I had to analyse it for my 'A' level students back in 1992. That was a fascinating experience. The piece is a magnificent example of 'thematic metamorphosis'. With the exception of the first melody in the slow section, every theme in the piece derives directly from the motifs on the first page. For example, the bass quavers in bar 14 become the lyrical melody in bar 153, slowed to crotchets, placed in the treble and accompanied by the triplet broken chords. I played the piece for years without spotting this.

Actually, spotting it probably just makes me sad. Hey-ho again.

Steve :D

oh good lord no! i think its amazing how people spot these kinda things! ive realised that the Chopin Nocturne in D flat Op.27 uses a very similar bass figuration in the Liszt Consolation No.3? in D flat...strange huh

[SteveHopwood]

ive realised that the Chopin Nocturne in D flat Op.27 uses a very similar bass figuration in the Liszt Consolation No.3? in D flat...strange huh

Chopin and Liszt admired each other hugely. Each stated that the other could play their music better than they could. Hope that makes sense.

In this case, I wonder who pinched from whom :ph34r:

Steve :D

[sl123451]

ive realised that the Chopin Nocturne in D flat Op.27 uses a very similar bass figuration in the Liszt Consolation No.3? in D flat...strange huh

Chopin and Liszt admired each other hugely. Each stated that the other could play their music better than they could. Hope that makes sense.

In this case, I wonder who pinched from whom :ph34r:

Steve :D

Steve, Liszt would have pinched from Chopin i think.

Because although they both admired each other, chopin did not appreciate liszt's taste in music, so i have heard.

[elidatrading]

Gae! Come on! Tell us all what you got for grade 8!

Liz

[andante_in_c]

Gae!  Come on!  Tell us all what you got for grade 8!

Liz

He still hadn't heard yesterday.