I wonder if anyone is preparing the alternative piece for List B (Liszt's Klavierstuck in A[/i] major) and if they're finding it as difficult as I find it. The right hand has some hard work keeping the balance between the top notes which carry the melody and the accompaniment notes (played by the RH, too, so that it's melody and accompaniment in the same hand!). The second section had double notes in the LH which are rather awkward to play as there are so many flats and these notes are meant to be slightly touched upon as they provide a sort of waltz-like effect as a background to the RH melody and, of course, shouldn't be heard above the RH melody. Throughout the piece, although the LH is quite easy, it has dangerous jumps covering about 3 octaves which you must do automatically and be able to well even blindfolded as you cannot look down at the keyboard all the time ... and then, when you do look, it is to keep the RH under control.
I could have chosen - and could still choose - Beethoven's Adagio ... but I enjoy the challenge and my rendering doesn't sound disatstrous, either.
Any views?

Well, since nobody has turned up ... here is my alter ego ...
The piece is really challenging but maybe you enjoy to tackle difficult things ... so go for it and take the plunge.

Until a few minutes ago I hadn't looked at the piece but I would certainly persevere if I were you. Unbeknown to me, when I decided to take up the piano again I found a teacher who has a penchant for Liszt. Until that time the only Liszt I had tackled was his Christmas Tree Suite.

So when it came to grade 8 last year, he suggested that I try the Consolation in Db. It didn't happen, merely because I acquired a copy of the Rachmaninov List C alternative before receiving a copy of the Liszt. However, when I suggested that he choose something that I might otherwise not, for my forthcoming Diploma, he picked petrarch Sonnet 123.

I have my suspicions that it won't be the last piece of Liszt he pushes my way.

The Klavierstuck looks to be a good choice and once the England/France rugby match is over, I'll try and give it a whirl! So thanks for bringing it to my attention.

..............
I'm all ears ...

Well, after the rugby I didn't give it a whirl, but watched a DVD of The West Wing instead!

However, I did take it to the piano half an hour ago and although after my initial couple of attempts I wasn't too enamoured with it, it has grown on me since and now I like it.

Before I resumed piano lessons again a year or so ago, following a thirty-five year gap, I wouldn't necessarily have followed fingering guidelines and to be honest in this piece, reading from the AB Liszt: Twenty-one Short Piano Pieces, there aren't too many given.

Size of hand possibly helps in getting the inner parts quiet in the opening bars; I imagine that if it were a stretch, you might be inclined to 'bump' those chords. Moving in octaves in the RH I think I keep the hand fairly close to the keys, often using 4/5 fingering at the top to move smoothly. If you do this, then when it comes to those 'leaps' in the LH that you mention, you can keep the RH flowing, instead of feeling that you have to locate the notes again each time you lift your hand; that way they keep the attention of the listener whilst you negotiate the jumps in the LH. They're worth practising on their own, until you feel comfortable with the change in hand position in subsequent chords. As those RH octaves rise (2nd page, 2nd line) you can probably match the crescendo with a slight allargando, giving you a little more time to plant those base notes accurately.

Yes, I would persevere with this piece. Good luck with it!

Thanks for the tips. Many of them echo what ABRSM write in their teaching notes.
I think I'm determined to soldier on and play the Liszt at the exam. Hope Ferencz's spirit assists me ...