Transcendental Études

History#

The genesis of the Transcendental Études goes back to 1826, when 15-year-old Liszt wrote a set of youthful exercises called the Étude en douze exercices (Study in twelve exercises), S.136. These pieces were not particularly technically demanding. Liszt then returned to these pieces for thematic ideas, elaborating on them considerably, in the composition of the Douze Grandes Études (Twelve Grand Studies), S.137, which were published in 1840. The Transcendental Études, S.139, are revisions of the Douze Grandes Études. The fourth was altered and published alone as Mazeppa in late 1846, and the collection as a whole was published in 1852 and dedicated to Carl Czerny, Liszt’s piano teacher, and himself a prolific composer of études. Liszt made numerous textual changes in the final revision of the set, adapting the technical demands to facilitate execution on pianos with heavier keyboard action. When revising the 1837 set of études into their final “Transcendental” versions, Liszt added programmatic titles in French and German to all but two of the pieces, Liszt’s original idea was to write 24 études, one in each of the 24 major and minor keys. He completed only half of this project, Lyapunov’s set of études was dedicated to the memory of Liszt, and bore titles as Liszt’s set had done, with the final étude being entitled Élégie en mémoire de Franz Liszt. Very few pianists have recorded the 1837 set, and even fewer have recorded the 1826 set (which really are works of Liszt’s juvenilia). Leslie Howard is the only pianist to have recorded all three sets on a major label for international release, as part of his series of recordings for Hyperion of the complete solo piano music of Liszt.

Other works with a similar title#

• Sergei Lyapunov, 12 Études d’exécution transcendante, Op. 11 (1897–1905)
• Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, Études transcendantes (100) (1940–44), commonly known as 100 Transcendental Studies
• Brian Ferneyhough, Études transcendantales for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble (1982–85)

External links#

• • Discography of Liszt’s Transcendental Studies