NEW EDIT: I’m going to narrow down the most frequently mentioned options here and going to put a poll accordingly. Please pick your choice of what you think is the most difficult; if none of those are, just pick the last option and perhaps comment on what you think is the hardest.
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 transcription
Berlioz Symphonique Fantastique transcription
Grosse Konzertsolo uber Spanische weisen, S. 253
Tannhauser Overture
Lucrezia Borgia fantasy
Sonnambula fantasy
Scherzo und Marsch
None of the above: comment your choice.
0voters
Okay, so after a little Internet research, I’ve narrowed down the vast Liszt rep to the few that seem to be common contenders for “hardest Liszt piece”.
It is to be organised into two areas: Short Pieces (those under 10 minutes) and Long pieces (10m-1hr).
However, a third option will be added which will consider the hardest regardless of length.
I’d like to know which of you here think is his most difticult work, in each area. You may also rank them from easiest to hardest if you like.
Short Pieces (1-10m)
Paganini etude no. 4b (1838)
Paganini erude no. 6 (1838)
Feux Follets (1837)
Wilde Jagd (1837)
Rocket (no. 2, 1837)
Mazeppa (1837)
Chasse Neige (1837)
Etude No. 10 (1837)
El Contrabandista
La muette de portici Tarantella
Scherzo und Marsch (Leslie Howard is said to have stated this as his hardest original work)
Grand galop chromatique (harder version)
Longer Pieces (10+ minutes)
La Clochette
Don Juan fantasy
Fantasy on Don Juan and Figaro
Norma fantasy
I Puritani
Great Spanish Concert Solo (S. 253)
Les Huguenots fantasy
Sonnambula fantasy
Lucrezia Borgia fantasy
Sonata in b minor (not all claim this as the hardest but often cite its length)
Beethoven Symphony 9 transcription
Hexaneron
Tannhauser overture transcriptipn
Berlioz symphonic fantastique transcription
All pieces - what is the hardest amongst all of them? Or the ranking?
Not familiar with all those pieces, but the ones that look the most unplayable are the Spanish fantasy and the 4th movement of the Beethoven 9th symphony
Hexameron merits consideration, though it’s not remotely 100% Liszt of course. Quite nasty though, as everyone bar Chopin basically tried to get one up on the others.
You consider the Grosse as the hardest? I wanna know why. I’ve seen some people pick this as the hardest though for some reason Leslie Howard didn’t mention it when he was asked this question.
Edited the OP for the extra left-outs.
Also are there no poll options here? I wanted to make surveys lol.
How can I also obtain the pdf of the harder galop? Can’t seem to find it. The one Cziffra played uberfast was the simpler one right?