[Valentina Lisitsa] Liszt: Totentanz for Piano Solo

[harpsichording]

Dies Irae, Dies Illa. Solvet saeclum in favilla. Teste David cum Sibylla.

[koolkikij]

@vanburikwouter Dies Irae originated as a gregorian chant, and that is the theme that this works off of, for lack of a better word.

[vanburikwouter]

So it's a variation on the Dies Irae theme, but from what requiem? I've seen many times that it's the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem, but they don't sound alike. Verdi's Dies Irae starts in G and goes down and goes up back again. This starts in F and goes up and down a bit like a sinus while the main line is going down. They don't sound alike, they're not in the same key, so it's probably not the Dies Irae from Verdi's Requiem

[brooksiefan]

The greatest of her generation. Can't really help loving Lisitsa.

[amazingafro]

Is it possible to get a pdf of this sheet music?

[tnsnamesoralong]

@amazingafro

Yes! You can download from site imslp dot org. According on my memory,

[lottoformulier]

what happened with the sheets from 14:00 ?

[tnsnamesoralong]

@lottoformulier

Unfortunatelly they are missing or Lisitsa is playing a little bit more

[Roikkeli]

@tnsnamesoralong the notes can be found on the two piano version of totentanz. For some reason Liszt simplified the ending of the solo version. The two piano version ending is closer to ending of the orchestral version. Lisitsa and some other pianisits try to play the two piano version solo as accurately as possible.

[bslaozora]

@tnsnamesoralong

well in fact quite obviously she've been adding some notes during the entire piece......

[michael10894]

the hardest piece ever!!

[PhillyB702]

@michael10894 Liszt wrote more challenging works than this. The sonata for one is much more technically and musically challenging. Also many of his operatic transcriptions are much more challenging.

[flubished]

What kind of brain do these geniuses have? It's bad enough to even just look at all those symbols, but to play them? And from memory?

I am in awe. They are so privileged.

[shiningnight73]

@flubished Of course, it's a helluva lot of work, too! I imagine.

[PhillyB702]

@flubished Memorization usually comes from a mixture of repetition and analysis. Practicing sections over and over again cement them into your muscle memory. Usually pianists can sections without even thinking about the notes (it's not a very good idea to do so though.) Memorizing the notes is not very hard at all, the greatest challenge is learning, and analyzing them.

[MrDWRdave]

Thankyou Valentina - Your interpretation of this piece is I believe a once in a life time opportunity to look into the Listz musical mind - via yours. And for the sheet music to follow, nearly...as absorbing as watching your wonderful self play. You are having quiet a tour - how are those organic veges getting on without you?

MrDWRDave