Transcendental Étude No. 4 (Liszt)

Not to be confused with Mazeppa (symphonic poem).
Excerpt from the 'Allegro deciso' section of Transcendental Étude No. 4

Transcendental Étude No. 4 in D minor, "Mazeppa" is the fourth of twelve Transcendental Études by Franz Liszt. It was published in 1852, and is part of a much larger cultural legacy of Mazeppa.

Lord Byron wrote an epic poem Mazeppa in 1818, but Liszt's Mazeppa is based upon a poem by Victor Hugo which was published in 1829 as a part of a collection Les Orientales. Hugo's poem is included in Liszt's original manuscript.[1]

Form

This étude features distinct sections, separated by progressions in double octaves. After a short ad libitum cadenza, the main theme is presented in octaves accompanied by thirds in the center of the keyboard, giving the impression of a horse galloping in a cloud of dust. The theme returns immediately this time with a thinner texture. After a chromatic scale in alternating octaves arrives, the middle section "Lo stesso tempo" occurs in which the left hand plays a modified version of the theme while the right hand plays arpeggios in intervals up and down the keyboard. An "Il canto espressivo ed appassionato assai" (transl. "Sung expressively and with much passion") immediately follows in which the main theme reappears, this time accompanied by repeated thirds in both hands in addition to a chromatic scale in the left.

The original theme makes a more recognizable return in the "Animato" (more animated). Yet the horse returns galloping faster than he has ever before, as illustrated in the "Allegro deciso," where a variation of the original theme is played at a much quicker tempo.

Finally, a grandiose finale represents Liszt's interpretation of the last verse of the poem: "il tombe enfin, et se relève roi!" (transl. "he falls then rises a king).

Technical difficulties

Mazeppa is ranked among the most difficult of the twelve études both musically and technically, alongside Feux Follets (the fifth in the set).[2] According to G. Henle Verlag, a German publisher of sheet music, it is rated at the highest difficulty along with five other compositions within this set of Transcendental Études.[3] Successful execution requires great speed and endurance, as well as a complete familiarity with the piano due to the abundance of jumps that span more than an octave.

Liszt indicates a rather odd fingering: the fast successive thirds in the beginning two sections should be played only with the index and fourth finger, alternating hands every two intervals. This fingering may seems to hinder speed, is more difficult than moving from the thumb and third finger for the first interval to the index and fourth for the second interval, and is therefore not used by every performer. However, this fingering is given for specific purposes; it makes the consecutive thirds sound more like a horse by preventing legato and expressive playing and builds strength in the second and fourth fingers.[2] Earlier versions were marked "Staccatissimo"; some later editions are marked "Sempre fortissimo e con strepito."[citation needed]

An earlier version of this piece was published under the same name in 1840 (S.138). However, it was based on the fourth étude from Douze Grandes Études (S.137).[citation needed] Hence they are more similar in form than the last published version.

References

  1. ^ Walker, Alan (1970). Franz Liszt; the man and his music. Internet Archive. New York, Taplinger Pub. Co. ISBN 978-0-8008-2990-2.
  2. ^ a b A Performance Guide to Liszt’s 12 Transcendental Etudes, S. 139 by Han Wang
  3. ^ "Liszt: Transcendental Studies, Urtext Edition". Archived from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2017-04-02.

Read other articles:

Prayagraj Solar Power Plant

Prayagraj Solar Power PlantCountryIndiaStatusOperationalCommission date2018Owner(s)EMC LIMITEDPower generationNameplate capacity50 MW[1]External linksWebsitewww.emcpower.com[edit on Wikidata] Prayagraj Solar Power Project is the first solar power plant in Uttar Pradesh. The plant has been developed by Kolkata-based company EMC Limited at Naini, 25 km away from Prayagraj as part of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.[1] The plant is spread out...

 

History of Leicester City F.C.

History of Leicester City (soccer) football club This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: History of Leicester City F.C. – news · newspapers · books · sch...

 

Mario Impemba

American sportscaster Mario ImpembaImpemba in Germany in 2013Born1962 or 1963 (age 60–61)Detroit, Michigan, U.S.Alma materMichigan State UniversityOccupationSportscasterSports commentary careerTeamsAnaheim Angels (1995–2001)Detroit Tigers (2002–2018)Boston Red Sox (2019)GenrePlay-by-playSportMajor League Baseball Mario Impemba (born 1962 or 1963)[1] is an American sportscaster, best known as the television play-by-play announcer for the Detroit Tige...

Chuck Grassley

Chuck Grassley Portrait officiel de Chuck Grassley (2017). Fonctions 5e président pro tempore emeritus du Sénatdes États-Unis En fonction depuis le 20 janvier 2021(3 ans, 2 mois et 25 jours) Législature 117e et 118e Prédécesseur Patrick Leahy Sénateur des États-Unis En fonction depuis le 3 janvier 1981(43 ans, 3 mois et 11 jours) Élection 4 novembre 1980 Réélection 4 novembre 19863 novembre 19923 novembre 19982 novembre 20042 novembre 20108 novembre 2...

 

Rosina Penco

Italian operatic soprano Rosina Penco Rosina Penco (born in Naples in 1823, died in Poretta, near Bologna in 1894) was an Italian operatic soprano. She is most notable for creating the role of Leonora in Il trovatore by Verdi in Rome in 1853.[1] Career Rosina Penco sang in operas by Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti in various German theatres in 1850. She was praised for her fiery stage temperament and her virtuosic singing, in particular for an excellent trill.[2] In Italy, she ...

 

Götz Draeger

German rower You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in German. (April 2022) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the German article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the Eng...

Ethiopians in Sweden

Ethiopian diaspora in Sweden Ethiopians in SwedenTotal population17,944[1]Regions with significant populationsStockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Hallonbergen, HelenelundLanguagesAmharic, Oromo, Tigrinya, SwedishReligionChristianity (Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church), Islam Ethiopians in Sweden are citizens and residents of Sweden who are of Ethiopian descent. Demographics Ethiopia-born persons in Sweden by sex, 2000-2016 (Statistics Sweden).[1] According to Statistics Sweden, as...

 

Фавн

Фавн Пол самец Дети Латин В иных культурах сатир  Медиафайлы на Викискладе Фавн (лат. Faunus) — одно из древнейших национальных божеств Италии. Многие чисто италийские особенности его характера и культа сгладились вследствие отождествления его с греческим Паном&...

 

Сибирский горный козёл

Сибирский горный козёл Научная классификация Домен:ЭукариотыЦарство:ЖивотныеПодцарство:ЭуметазоиБез ранга:Двусторонне-симметричныеБез ранга:ВторичноротыеТип:ХордовыеПодтип:ПозвоночныеИнфратип:ЧелюстноротыеНадкласс:ЧетвероногиеКлада:АмниотыКлада:СинапсидыКла�...

Dunedin sound

Genre of indie pop music This article is about the style of music. For the body of water at Dunedin, see Otago Harbour. This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages) This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009) (Learn how and when to rem...

 

土库曼斯坦总统

土库曼斯坦总统土库曼斯坦国徽土库曼斯坦总统旗現任谢尔达尔·别尔德穆哈梅多夫自2022年3月19日官邸阿什哈巴德总统府（Oguzkhan Presidential Palace）機關所在地阿什哈巴德任命者直接选举任期7年，可连选连任首任萨帕尔穆拉特·尼亚佐夫设立1991年10月27日 土库曼斯坦土库曼斯坦政府与政治 国家政府 土库曼斯坦宪法 国旗 国徽 国歌 立法機關（英语：National Council of Turkmenistan） ...

 

Naxos (regional unit)

Regional unit in GreeceNaxos Περιφερειακή ενότηταΝάξουRegional unitMunicipalities of the CycladesNaxosNaxos within Greece Coordinates: 37°0′N 25°30′E / 37.000°N 25.500°E / 37.000; 25.500CountryGreeceAdministrative regionSouth AegeanSeatNaxos (city)Area • Total622.1 km2 (240.2 sq mi)Population (2021)[1] • Total22,539 • Density36/km2 (94/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+2 (EET) �...

الإسلام في الجزائر

تحتاج هذه المقالة إلى الاستشهاد بمصادر إضافية لتحسين وثوقيتها. فضلاً ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة بإضافة استشهادات من مصادر موثوق بها. من الممكن التشكيك بالمعلومات غير المنسوبة إلى مصدر وإزالتها. جزء من سلسلة مقالات حولالإسلام حسب البلد الإسلام في إفريقيا أنغولا بنين بوتسوا...

 

Hsu Shui-teh

Taiwanese politician (1931–2021) In this Chinese name, the family name is Hsu. Hsu Shui-teh許水德Chairman of the Association of East Asian RelationsIn office2 September 2002[1] – July 2004[2]President of the Examination YuanIn office1 September 1996 – 31 August 2002Secretary-General of the KuomintangIn office10 March 1993 – 16 August 1996ChairmanLee Teng-huiMinister of the InteriorIn office22 July 1988 – 31 May 1991Chairman of t...

 

Springdale, Arkansas

For the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, see Northwest Arkansas. City in Arkansas, United StatesSpringdale, ArkansasCity Clockwise from top: Spring Creek runs through Turnbow Park, the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History, Northwest Arkansas Naturals play at Arvest Ballpark, historic commercial center of Springdale, Emma Avenue, the Tyson Foods World Headquarters, and Old Springdale High School SealNickname: The Poultry Capital Of The World[1][2]Location of Spr...

September 2024 lunar eclipse

Partial lunar eclipse of 18 September 2024 September 2024 lunar eclipsePartial eclipseDate18 September 2024Gamma−0.97920Magnitude0.08491Saros cycle118 (52 of 73)Partiality62 minutes, 49 secondsPenumbral246 minutes, 22 secondsContacts (UTC)P100:41:08U102:12:51Greatest02:44:14U403:15:40P404:47:25← March 2024March 2025 → A partial lunar eclipse will take place on Wednesday, 18 September 2024, the second of two lunar eclipses in 2024 and the final partial lunar eclipse of ...

 

Otello (Verdi)

OtelloMario Del Monaco nelle vesti di OtelloLingua originaleitaliano MusicaGiuseppe Verdi(spartito online) LibrettoArrigo Boito(libretto online) Fonti letterarieOthello (1603) di Shakespeare Attiquattro Epoca di composizionemarzo 1884 - fine 1886 Prima rappr.5 febbraio 1887 TeatroTeatro alla Scala di Milano Versioni successive Théâtre de l'Opéra di Parigi, 12 ottobre 1894 Personaggi Otello, moro, generale dell'Armata Veneta (tenore) Iago, alfiere (baritono) Cassio, capo di squadra (tenore)...

 

Gabrielle Decohorne

Cet article est une ébauche concernant une peintre française. Vous pouvez partager vos connaissances en l’améliorant (comment ?) selon les recommandations des projets correspondants. Gabrielle DecohornePortrait de Gabrielle Decohorne avec ses parents. (L. Montagné, 1905).BiographieNaissance 23 mars 1881AvignonDécès 25 juillet 1963 (à 82 ans)HyèresNationalité françaiseActivité PeintreConjoint Paul Gaston Déprezmodifier - modifier le code - modifier Wikidata Gabrielle D...

رودهن

رودهن  - city -  Imamzadeh Sultan Mutahhar, Boumehen neighborhood of Rudehen. تقسيم إداري البلد  إيران[1] عاصمة لـ قسم رودهن  المحافظة طهران المقاطعة مقاطعة دماوند الناحية قسم رودهن خصائص جغرافية إحداثيات 35°44′16″N 51°54′42″E / 35.73778°N 51.91167°E / 35.73778; 51.91167 الارتفاع 1796 متر  الس�...

 

Caucasian Albania

Ancient state in the Caucasus This article is about the political entity. For the geographic region, see Arran (Caucasus). For the province, see Caucasian Albania (Sasanian province). Caucasian Albania2nd century BC  – 8th century ADCaucasian Albania in the 5th and 6th centuries[1]StatusInitial state/s unknown; later vassal kingdom and province of the Sasanian Empire and the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid CaliphatesCapitalKabalak (Qabala); Partaw (Barda)Common lan...