Transcendental Étude No. 12 (Liszt)

The first bar of the Transcendental Étude No. 12

Transcendental Étude No. 12 in B♭ minor, "Chasse-neige" (snow-whirls) is the last of twelve Transcendental Études by Franz Liszt. The étude is a study in tremolos but contains many other difficulties like wide jumps and fast chromatic scales, and it requires a very gentle and soft touch in the beginning. The piece gradually builds up to a powerful climax. It is one of the most difficult Transcendental Études, being ranked 9 out of 9 by publisher G. Henle Verlag—one of six in the series to receive the highest possible difficulty ranking.[1]

Ferruccio Busoni stated the étude was the "noblest example, perhaps, amongst all music of a poetising nature." He described the work as "a sublime and steady fall of snow which gradually buries landscape and people".[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Liszt: Transcendental Studies, Urtext Edition
  2. ^ Ferruccio Busoni, ed. (January 1988). Franz Liszt: Complete etudes for solo piano. Courier Corporation. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-486-25815-7.
  3. ^ Jim Samson (2007). Virtuosity and the Musical Work: The Transcendental Studies of Liszt. Cambridge University Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-1-139-43621-2.