F. Liszt Rondo Fantastique 'El Contrabandista' Valentina Lisitsa

La Campanella On Steroids ? :-)This is perhaps the MOST unplayable piece of music I ever encountered! La Campanella , or Feux Follets ( both are clearly hinted here) are walk in a park in comparison....Early Liszt, from the period when he honestly thought that piano being a percussive instrument there is no point of making any attempt at legato,and one might as well enjoy frolicking in most head-spinning skips and repeated notes :-) The piece (which is based on Manuel Garcia's popular song) was titled in the first edition as "Op.5 #2". Funny , I think that was the last piece Liszt gave an opus number, anticipating how many works he is going to write :) Liszt intended this piece as a bravura finale for his recitals - but according to many reports , he failed utterly . Too difficult???? LOL
A friend of mine who used to present great Soviet artists on their tours in Italy told me that the only person who played it LIVE was Pletnev. But even then Pletnev told him that he quit on this piece , calling it "unplayable". You can check for yourself - the music is available freely here:

Let me know how far you progress, OK ? It makes for an easy sight-reading. But do pay attention to indicated tempo marks. They are truly insane :-)
For some fun go to middle of page 22 or page 28 and tell me how you like it :-) A hint... it would make for a hilarious video. Hitting those notes is a gamble no matter how many days spent practicing. La Campanella infamous skips are two octaves shorter ....

Liszt recording project in Hannover , Germany. Dec 5, 2011.
Sound track used in this video is for camera only. The original 8 track mix will be used for the LP and CD available at a later time.

[wrstrfgh]

Funny, I am listening to Liszt's music for some 40 years and never came across this one. No wonder, nobody plays it!

[Papkazz]

Liszt: So, I have this new completely unplayable piece...
Valentina: Hold my vodka...

[paulpayet]

sometimes i want her to press a wrong note to be sure she's not a robot

[ludvigvanbeethoven]

Me after finishing the hammerklavier fugue in: "I did the hardest piano piece ever to play."
Franz Liszt: "Hold my beer."

[Hjpoia]

I need 10 hands and 3 brains to play this.

[Jameswallace]

I watch this every night with a glass of wine and marvel, future generations are going to say 'what was it like to be alive in her time' we are and we are blessed

[wilsoncrocker]

not gonna lie, was kinda bummed when i realized i was too late to buy tickets... 😟

by 7 years...

[rcy]

what a strange side effect of us evolving to hold on to branches.

[NeilM]

Some years ago, before YouTube made her famous, I was talking with her after a concert (where? in a Manhattan piano store!!) About piano, of. course, but also about chess - she had been a top player too. *I* told her about this piece, as being THE most difficult - if too long for its content. So: blame me!

[kervinkylle]

Most people: “this piece is unplayable”
Lisitsa: LOL!

[aonutsihasnouith]

How is she so damn good at this? She’s one of the only 3 pianists I know who make me hear new things on every piece I hear them play. (Martha Agerich, Marc Andre-Hamelin are the other two). This is a masterclass on different articulations and ways of touching the piano.

[davidsmalt]

Her style is incomparable. Fantastique!!!

[Raresvoicila]

Simply piano:



Day 1: chopsticks


Day 1 and two seconds:

[diyapradeep]

HOW IS SHE SO DAMN GOOOD
CANT STOP WATCHING
#respect
The amt of practice is unimaginable

[_Natan]

It's an honor to be alive on the same day that you're alive too, you will be remembered for many years, you're exceptional.

[johnstaf]

Such a magnificent piano. Brilliantly played as always Valentina!

[TELarson]

Amazing performance. I live in Montana, USA where we seldom have an opportunity to enjoy live performances by world class pianists such as Valentina. It is therefore with great appreciation and pleasure that I come to You Tube on a regular basis and listen to Valentina most of all.

[Jose-esxy]

I was an absolute privilege listen to that magnificent piece

[mwsc]

OK, the more I hear this the more I love it, and this performance is spot-on at capturing it all, why have I been coming back to this like every other day for the past two weeks now?

[dafyliz]

Liszt: You can't defeat me
Me: I know, but she can
*Points to Valentina*