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Why Franz Liszt. The numerous pianistic techniques ; The unexpected contribution of Liszt ; "Genius cannot be imitated" ; "Art cannot be analyzed" ; Modern playing ; The past and the playing of Liszt ; The attacks against Liszt ; The true nobility of a fine technique ; The piano and our era ; The Lisztian art, the listener and the contemporary performer ; Lisztian criteria. Ease ; Moulding phrases ; Beauty of tone ; The taste for orchestral sound ; Direct interpretative creation ; Respiratory energy ; Ability to listen to oneself ; Easy sight reading and knowledge of the keyboard ; Facilitated memorization ; Facility in playing the most varied repertoire ; Adaptation to different makes of pianos ; Interminable repetitions avoided during practice ; Overcoming stage fright ; Beginning serious piano study at any age -- Part I. Historical references. Liszt's personal demands in the pianistic art. Liszt and Paganini ; The violin and the piano ; Transcending the instrument ; The death of Paganini ; The originality of Liszt ; Liszt and virtuosity ; A pianistic method of Liszt ; Liszt and the democratization of the piano ; Liszt and Romanticism ; Liszt and interpretation -- The effects of Liszt's playing on his audience. Liszt as a pianist and composer for the piano ; Remarks about the playing of Liszt in. 1831 ; 1834 ; 1835 ; 1840 ; 1842 ; 1844 ; 1857 ; 1873 ; 1878 ; 1881 ; 1883 -- Remarks of Adolph Kullak, George Sand, Madame Hanska -- The technical writings of the direct disciples. Inequality of their worth ; Chronological order ; Madame Boissier ; Klindworth ; Mason ; Amy Fay ; Borodin ; Marie Jaell ; The case of Clark ; The true purpose of an essay ; Siloti ; D'Albert ; Da Motta ; Lachmund ; Stradal ; Gollerich -- The technical writings of the indirect disciples and a few imitators. The importance of the indirect disciples and imitators ; Weitzmann ; Lina Ramann ; E. Caland ; J. Bosch van's Gravemoer ; M.W. Troost -- Paintings, caricatures, drawings, photographs. The worth of the paintings and caricatures ; Iconography of 1836, 1840, 1842, 1846, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1876, 1879, 1881, 1882, 1885, 1886 ; Variety of the Lisztian posture ; The school of the vaulted wrist -- Part II. The theory of the Lisztian technique. The muscles. The muscles: useful problem or pedantry? ; Alphabetical nomenclature of some anatomical terms ; The muscles and their work ; The dorsal muscles ; Muscles of the arm ; Muscles of the forearm ; Muscles of the hand -- Similarities and apparent contradictions found in various documents. The pragmatic Liszt ; The hazards of technical appearances ; Similarities. Spiritual conception of playing ; Organic conception of playing ; Not looking at the keyboard ; Body movement at the piano ; Fluidity ; Against weight ; The wrist ; Action of the fingers -- Contradictions. Pedagogy ; Exterior vision of playing ; Posture at the piano ; Hand position ; The wrist and the shape of the fingers ; Global conception of the energy of playing -- General deductions about Lisztian technique and its evolution from 1831 to 1880. A vast technique ; Neither cramped nor egocentric ; Similarities recalled ; Solved contradictions ; Liszt and his four technical approaches ; Outline of the evolution of Lisztian pianism ; Final deductions ; Conclusion concerning two great technical systems generated by the same principle ; Harpsichord technique and the Lisztian relation -- Touch. A larger conception than a simple quality of tone colour ; Speed of the key descent ; The propulsive gesture of movement -- The triple Lisztian relation: instrument, interpreter, listener. Definition of the general dynamism of the technique of Liszt ; Emotional attitude ; The archer's movement -- Part III. Elements of the Lisztian technique. The shoulders, the arm, the forearm in Lisztian technique. The shoulders, the arm: suspending role, lateral role, pulling role, subsidiary role ; The forearm: role of adhesion, rotating role, subsidiary role -- The wrist in Lisztian technique. Flexion and extension role ; Role of reinforcement and manual adhesion ; Transmission role ; Lateral and leading role -- The hand, the fingers in Lisztian technique. The hand: its resistance, its alleged immobility, its slants ; The fingers: turning of the fingers, the thumb, articulation of the fingers, three remarks, linking the fingers, equalization of the fingers -- Elasticity and ease in playing. Tension, relaxation ; Suspensive fixation ; Artificialization of posture ; Against organic passivity ; Eliminating stiffness ; Activity, passivity ; Muscular relation to the music -- Loudness in playing. Clara Wieck ; Leaning from the waist ; The position of the arms ; Dry playing and antepulsion ; Height of the fingers ; Insistence on adhesion to the depressed keys -- Softness in playing. Soft playing ; Very soft playing ; Adjustment of the brachial pull -- Loudness and softness in connection with various speeds. The problem of simultaneous loudness and speed ; The unifying effect of slow practice ; Digital movements in speed and loudness ; Digital movements in speed and softness ; Digital movements in slowness and loudness ; Digital movements in slowness and softness ; Lateral movements of the trunk -- Part IV. Practical applications in view of a method. Dominant impressions perceived in a pianist of the Lisztian school. The goal of the gesture ; The hand as center of attention ; The arm as a swing -- Development of Lisztian technique through some synchronized exercises. Posture at the piano ; Setting up the suspensive fixation of the arm ; Lateral movements of the arm and forearm used in playing ; Rotation movements of the forearm ; Movements of the musculature of the fingers ; Finger movements in soft discontinuous playing ; Wrist and forearm movements in medium loud and loud discontinuous playing ; Exercises ; Finger movements in soft continuous playing ; Exercises ; Wrist and forearm movements in medium loud and loud continuous playing ; Independence of the fingers ; Passing of the thumb ; Extensions ; Double notes ; Staccato ; Portato ; Rebounding ; Connected octaves and chords ; Leaps ; Conclusion (music and human behavior) -- Practical execution applied to various musical examples from J.S. Bach to Stravinsky. Examples of. Crossing over ; Continuity (the technique of continuity) ; Leaps ; Double notes ; Finger extensions ; Retropulsive and antepulsive energy ; Flexion and extension of the wrist ; Various volumes ; Repeated notes ; Octaves and chords ; Passing of the thumb ; Polyphony ; Rotation of the forearm and hand ; Flexibility ; Staccato ; Supination ; Carpal transmission -- Brief practical remarks on polyphony, pedaling, phrasing and rubato. Finger motion of J.S. Bach and Liszt ; The pedal and its tonal and artistic dimensions ; Rubato of Chopin and Liszt -- The technical studies. Liszt's Technical Studies not widely known ; Exercises given by Liszt to d'Albert and Stavenhagen ; Pianistic equilibrium is more important than exercise patterns ; Exercises, not etudes ; Two etudes from the method of Lebert and Stark ; One etude from the method of Fetis and Moscheles. |
