Nikolaï Lugansky plays Liszt's Feux Follets Transcendantal Etude at the 2008 Verbier Festival

[Dihelson]

The "Epitome" of piano technique are GODOWSKY´s Etudes on Chopin´s Etudes. That is REALLY difficult to play correctly. Chopin´s etudes are child play compared to them.

[PhillyB702]

@Dihelson There's no real reason to play them though. I believe there was someone who (can't remember where I exactly heard it) put it best when they said, "What's the point when Chopin said more with half the notes."

[chipncharge94]

everybody pls listen ashkenazy! :)

[Theonedue]

...better than Bodowsky, or whatever his name is.

[lllllllllllllll88]

He's amazing. I'm becoming a fan...

[chpnlzt]

PRETTY ADMIRABLE ATTEMPT (FOR A MERE MORTAL) TO CHASE DOWN KISSIN - LUGANSKY SHOULD BE PROUD - BUT REMEMBER KISSIN HAS THE FINGERS OF GOD, AND THERE IS SOMETHING FUNKY SUPERNATURAL HAPPENING THERE, SINCE GOD IS SHOWING OFF HIS BEST WORK IN THESE LAST DAYS - AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN INTO KISSIN SINCE THE BEGINNING, WE KNOW THAT KISSIN RIPPED THROUGH THOSE LISZT ETUDES AT ABOUT AGE 15 BETTER THAN ANYONE EVER HAS, OR PROBABLY EVER WILL AGIAN !!!

[justcallmesqueezer]

all i have to say:

Carpel tunnel

[iwritesmusic]

he leaves out so many of the bottom notes in the right hand in the main part!!!! i know its hard though...

[juliburton]

I LOVE HIM. HE"S FANTASTIC!!!!!!!

[Jim341046]

Look at those fingers!!! Paid in accordance with the law (of talent)

[gsarci2011]

no applauses?

[medicitv]

@gsarci2011 of course, yes! But this is only an extract of the Nikolaï Lugansky 's concert at the Verbier Festival!

[cfwpiano]

wow, superb!

[ilikeyouallot]

what a pleasure. thanks for sharing.

[Nissor]

great!!!!

[reflexpg]

grrrr I LOVE HIM!

[mkeysou812]

That was one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard on a piano. He completely captured the spirit of the piece to the point I forgot I was listening to a piano. I feel sorry for people who don't like this!

[Fibiger17]

How somebody can NOT like this??? Best interpretation of this piece i ever heard

[nmvdw]

Comparing Liszt etudes with Chopin etudes, and concluding that one of them is just better, is like looking at a beautiful tree with a lot of different leaves, but removing some leaves, just because they are different, and your view on beauty doesn't contain those leaves.

Why can't we leave every leaf intact and respect every leaf the way it is?

[abmsghost1]

@nmvdw Exactly!



[penguinshin]

lugansky's hands are so pretty to look at....

[CammehYaBams]

1:18 is my favourite bit

[priceeqn]

I think tychovsky you're missing one major difference between the Chopin etudes and the Liszt etudes: Chopin's weren't written for a master, but TO master the piano. The Liszt etudes are written to be played AFTER you're a master. That's a pretty big difference. I have to be in an attack mood to listen to the Liszt pieces, because that's what they are, an attack on piano technique. When I'm in a mood to be meditative, I go for Chopin.

[ceciamable]

impressionante...tecnica trascendentale ma anche un pensiero raffinato

[chutdigadut]

I'll feel like I'm on top of the world the day I can play this freakin etude

[debussy84]

Others soon followed, also trying to outdo Chopin's etudes in difficulty, such as Godowsky and Lyapounov( sp.?). It doesn't matter how much more difficult they are, Chopin's are still better.

[debussy84]

Chopin's etudes are better. Liszt became jealous when he observed the attention that surrounded Chopin's, and the notoriety concerning their difficulty. He then made his own stupidly hard for the sole purpose of out-doing Chopin's in difficulty (the 12 Grande Etudes), adding pointless intervals like 12th, ect. Then when he came to his senses and realized they were unplayable, he redid then as the Trancendentals. Liszt's etudes are stunts. Chopin's are moments of brilliance.

[maternalheart66]

@debussy84 It's all a matter of taste, you can't say one is better then the other. I personally prefer Liszt, his etudes have more fantasy and wonder then Chopin's, in my opinion. You can't say he was jealous of Chopin and purposely made his harder, that brilliance is simply Liszt's style. Some people, like yourself, become so obsessed with Chopin and Chopin alone that you can't honestly look at any other composer without a harsh, over done comparison.

[debussy84]

@maternalheart66 Oops, i guess you wish you had of actually looked at my favourites before this response! And I don't believe i'm wrong about the history, but anyhow.

[maternalheart66]

@debussy84 Also, I see on your channel you have more Liszt videos added to your favorites then Chopin. Pretty funny that you're here trashing him.

[baalbelphegor]

1:50. enjoy.

[Jim341046]

You won't see a 'busier' right hand than this piece.

[Jim341046]

This is my favorite Piano clip on you tube and I've seen hundreds. I love the tempo, it is breath taking. J

[cpanati]

Lugansky is amazing, at everything he plays.

[chrish12345]

wow long fingas, duz that meen er ..... :/

[Abzzzolut]

@chrish12345 Yeah it means he rocks on the piano!! :)

[dgaranin]

An expert performance of this notoriously difficult etude! Thank you for a great video!

[demosj]

This performance is ridiculous, somehow surpassing every other recording, by the Liszt pupils, Richter, Berezovsky, Cziffra, Morinu, Kissin, etc. So articulate, so exquisitely veloce, unmechanical, playful, and sparkling. Infallible.

Lugansky is very different from his contemporaries. He says "Do we 21th century pianists have to resign ourselves to being in the shadow of the bygone Golden Age pianists? The rest of you can, but I'm not satisfied with that."

Just badass.

[cahutman]

One of if not the most difficult piece in piano history nailed it !

[leopianotuner]

This is fine quality video. I wonder what video camera they are using.

[rebelchovar]

AFK, speed version, no its wonderfull.

[anotherpianodude]

Very clear video ! Thank you !!!

[Jim341046]

It's fair to say he's a pretty good pianist..

[meticulum]

@Martel211996 Are people supposed to be impressed you have his contact info?

[StevedMac]

@meticulum Agreed; snobby bastard!

[satyu131089]

ma-gi-cal...

[Jamez5cz]

That ending is so magical!

[MrStrav81]

Very similar to Evgeny Kissin's. I'm also partial to Cziffra's. Cziffra's is cloudlike.

[robertslistening]

Some nice technique in there. I tend to compare with Evgeny Kissin...cause he's the best in my opinion. That doesn't mean they all need to sound like him.

This was quite well done. To me those last notes should have had a feather touch.

He brought out the nice fantasy (fairies dancing) effect, quite well.

[fcukYutub]

maybe this is too fast?? i heard slower one, and i think slower is better

[pianotonton]

Maitrise, esprit, sonorité : tout est là. On applaudit et l'on en redemande !

[RMAOA]

Thank you for posting great videos !!!!!!

[MsJamieLA]

His ability is absolutely mind blowing! But for some reason his performance comes of as really technical, and not very passionate....i could be wrong though.

[pikapuff123]

I agree, but I enjoy the stand-out techniality in this piece as opposed to over romantification. The crisp quality to to this interperetation is very refreshing.

[CoultonBecker]

Dear Mr. Lugansky, I am doing a project on Franz Liszt. With your permission I would like to include your music video in my documentary. P.S. Great Job !!!

[hoiszhdfoifh22]

You're never going to get in touch with him on here. Look for his website, he probably has someone to handle requests like that. Or you could just include it anyway, depending on the scale of the project you might well get away with it.

[ralfjacobs]

@Martel211996 hmm did that provide you with the egoboost you needed.

i think a stalker can get the same info as you.

[Martel211996]

@ralfjacobs is there a problem with helping people? or are you just a jealous fuck that felt the need to lower me.

[rjm1009]

im not familiar with this piece...how do you pronounce it?

[doncini3000]

@rjm1009 Fi-ur fo-lets i think.

[Jim341046]

Fow Follay (Fow pronounced like Go or Throw, Follay pronounced like Ballet with an o. )

[florhand]

Does anyone know how to find his 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' scherzo. I used to watch/listen to it a lot - has it been taken off? Thanks if anyone out there can help...

[MrGrigor99]

Yeah! I was wondering the same thing! Bring it back PLEASE!

[jewish1972]

Chopin`s etudes are prettier

[seremerow]

精采絕倫!!

誇張的好耶!!

不禁要大喊：Bravo!!

[robertslistening]

I have listened to the other good pianists mentioned on this page. Even Richter, who I would say is second to Kissin, still doesn't grasp it the way Kissin does. EVGENY KISSIN almost turns it into a fantasy piece that you would see in a movie. Truly beautiful speed, finesse, dynamics, interpretation.

Not to knock Lugansky. He also is a fine pianist, but definitely not in the top 5, like Kissin. Listen to Kissin play "rage over a lost penny", or "la Campanella"...a master at work.

[robertslistening]

This is good. He is a good quality concert pianist, but you should hear Evgeny Kissin do this. Kissin just has more speed and finesse.

[daenite08]

lol u can tell if u watch closely that the recording him playing faster than he actually is.

[hellomate639]

It's your imagination. This is actual tempo. I'm sure he could play it much faster.

[Pischnaholic]

Good but not not his best playing.

Claire Huangci and Kissin are more satisfying in this freakishly difficult work. I suppose one must include Richter as well. Ingolf Wunder is another who can do it easily, but I don't care his any more than I do for this.

The trouble is the thing always turns into a FEAT instead of a delightful bit musical expression.

[demosj]

Is the only thing you do promote obscure pianists? Robert Egerton-Smith in all those Gaspard de la Nuit and Islamey videos and now Clair Haungci and Ingold Wunder?

[lagnyim]

If you concentrate on the notes, you can hear it.

and I do not understand why people use the word ''cheat'' I think it is just a very tiny technical problem. because he plays it too softly. he is the great pianist for me!

[trigalg693]

The entire thing is marked pianissimo, except a few bars.

[Rickyr389]

but also exists the posibility that he's playing the double notes, and the lower notes sound very softly, but it would be extremely difficult...for the sound it looks like he cheats that part, but watching the video with the quality, the light, and the speed of the fingers I can't see if he cheats or not...

[AcePro]

He doesn't cheat. I can clearly here the notes on the 5th and 6th fingers, although played very softly

[AcePro]

Haha I said 5th ad 6th fingers. I meant 4th and 5th of course =). Although it looks like he's using his third and fourth fingers there. Either way my point still stands

[ilnvita]

terrible cheating... spaghetti fingers.

[hailkayy]

LOOL

[Alejandro270193]

hahahaha =D so funny

[Deathrocker38]

pfuuu -_-

[anonymousQ45]

yu kosuge has the best interp its not so fast that you cant hear all the notes i hate when everybody plays this so fast

[ukaszstm]

sam tak zagraj ciulu

[Jenninecro]

This is great! his hands look so light! I <3 piano!

[ivanaraque]

Yes, 1960ari, I agree with you! Cheat!

[1960ari]

i repect him very much as a pianist and I wish i had half his technique , bit what he does here is a joke

[daeviydt]

THIS MAKES ME WANT TO SCREAM

[1960ari]

can´t you see he is CHEATING??? the 6ths and 4ths ?, only plays top voice. (0,39"

[modelstatue]

There is no such thing as cheating in classical music. If you are not following the composition exactly then you are using your own interpretation or editing the music yourself which is what he is doing. And yet, it still sounds so good, so really, there is not such thing as cheating...

[1960ari]

send this mail to Liszt , Feux follets is know by the difficult passage in 6ths and 5ths that he CHEATS on purpose

I don´t understand him ,a fantastic pianist doing that

in the meantime go and listen to Berman , Ashkenazy, Kissin Bolet ,

[avb20540]

Wait, which part in the piece is he playing differently from the real composition?

[1960ari]

2nd page , when the difficult passage in he right hand starts.

Getvthe score and look

[ilnvita]

well, i am pretty sure that if Liszt had to hear someone not playing half of the notes in one of his pieces, he would be disappointed. And in the case your are stating, he should then announce in the programme that hes playing the simplerar Liszt/Lugansky transcription ..:-)

[yourpianoteacher]

NO! I have yet to find the "ideal" interpretation of this work on YouTube. It is unquestionably the most difficult solo piano work in the entire repertoire, but so easy to "bluff", through excessive speed and the omission of at least 25% of the notes which LISZT OBVIOUSLY WANTED PLAYED.

Nonetheless, this is AS CLOSE AS ANYONE HAS COME to playing this both OBJECTIVELY and SUBJECTIVELY.

NO ONE will ever totally conquer this work...but this as close as it gets! BRAVO!

[FKCOBW]

Well, how can anyone follow Liszt's mastery? By age 20, Liszt could sit in a dark room and play all of Beethoven's Sonatas, according to biographers. So, If Liszt's etudes are the most difficult, why are Chopin's etudes considered the pinnacle of the piano repertoire?

[gtyler7292]

you could maybe consider Godowsky's Studies on Chopin's Etudes to be the pinnacle of piano repertoire, but I don't think I've heard anything about Chopin's won etudes (masterpieces and very difficult in their own right) being at the "pinnacle" of piano repertoire.

[FKCOBW]

I consider Chopin's Etudes at the pinnacle of the piano repertorie in the sense they represent a historical change in the playing of piano music from a finger-centric, to a holistic (hand, wrist, and arm) approach. There's plenty of documentation pertaining to this debate on the internet.

[catdancr]

Because there is more musical content to Chopin's etudes, whereas Liszt is fireworks and technique. Fantastic, but not as much depth.

Respectfully, Teal

[ChrisWatch]

Liszt's works are known as complex; technically and musically unbalanced. It would be like trying to push two magnets perfectly together as they repel one another. A pianist needs that strength. That percision. But, I believe Liszt's Etudes are very musical. Vladimir Ovchinnikov clearly shows that in some of his takes on the transcedentals. I think people look at Liszt's works the way pianists looked at Rachmaninoff"s Elegie. Most commonly pianists play Rach's Elegie very slow than Rach.

[pianosinger55]

It is pieces like Chopin's winter winds and revolutionary which prove his etudes to be the 'pinnacle of the piano repertoire' due to the style in relation to that time in history and the strong sense of musicality along with demanding technique and speed. Of course, this is not saying that Lizts's etudes don't have a sense of musicality or depth, but that chopin's pieces were more so. I reckon both composer's etudes are brilliant, however Chopin's are harder to an extent becuase of the style.

[CodyNelsonMusic]

Alkans Etude's are much more demanding technically and very comparable musically. The reason most people don't see the musicality in Alkan is because of 2 reasons.

You have amazing technical pianists, but they aren't connected to the piece, so they play perfectly but forgo emotion.

The second reason is that some pianists who are very musically inclined do not have the appropriate technique to show both emotion and keep the piece correct, so they end up failing or playing without emotion.

[Grigor99]

@FKCOBW I think because Chopin's etudes represented many of the core technical challenges and made a true masterpiece in the process. while Liszt's etudes are more difficult, they go far beyond the core technical challenges. they are a conglomeration of many techniques. That said, they also hold their own in the annals of piano technique and are masterpieces as well.

[Kaggypants]

@FKCOBW Since when? Chopin's etudes are incredibly difficult but nothing as difficult as Feux Follets. I don't think they're the pinnacle at all and if they were considered to be so, I would also question it like you have done.

[penguinshin]

@FKCOBW

Because Liszt Etudes are too hard for the average professional. Chopin etudes are difficult, yet somehow easily fit the hand after a few months at most. Liszt etudes are so inconvenient that the pianist never really feels comfortable with them, or at least not many of them.

[CSPlayerDamon]

@FKCOBW Are they really considered the pinnacle? Never knew..But they sure exceed Liszt's in melody.Liszt's are more of a stunt..You must have a trained ear in order to enjoy it the most...But if you master his etudes, then you can surely play with relaxation every other piece xD

[kingdave84]

@FKCOBW Are they really? According to who? And would you say then, that piano development went steadily downhill after early 1830s? What about Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, RACHMANINOV, Prokofiev etc. etc.?

[tchykovsky]

@FKCOBW Chopin's Etudes are considered the pinnacle of piano technique, not repertoire. The etudes break down fundemental techniques for pianists to learn unlike Liszt who put a mesh of things and made them harder. Say for instance, Chopin has an etude where the whole focus is on octaves, another on black keys, one on mixed rhythm and another several on hand rotations and semi-quavers. Liszt doesn't cover those in specific details, he meshes a ton of technique at once.

[nmvdw]

@tchykovsky Liszt etudes do have 'subjects'. Vision is very good for the wrist.

Also, Chopin etudes 'mesh' a lot of technique in once (like 10-8), which goes about the wrist of the right hand, while having a difficult left hand.

If you want to have the technique of a master, you should combine techniques. Both Chopin and Liszt realized that, and did that in their etudes.

Training technique requires variety in the etudes you play: monotonous practicing isn't great. No set of etudes is the best!

[tchykovsky]

And to this day, Chopin's etudes are still the pinnacle of piano technique. A pianist would gain a lot more technique from the Chopin set. It doesn't mean they'll be able to easily play everything in the piano repertoire, but they should have a "general" understanding of how to go about every piece including Liszt etudes.

[3cplantin]

Yes, difficult, but not "unquestionably the most difficult solo piano work in the entire repertoire." There are many ways to measure difficulty and certain works by Alkan, Boulez, Messiaen, Ravel, Sorabji, Xenakis, and Beethoven (among others) could be argued to be more difficult than Feux Follets for any number of reasons. In the end, why try to rank pieces in difficulty, except maybe for fun? I agree that this is a spectacular performance (including the BRAVO)!

[1960ari]

go to the optic... he cheats the semiquavers difficult passage, please..., go and listen to Berman or even Pogorelich live as encore

[jwang32]

you don't need optics to tell that he's only playing half the notes. for anyone that's played this piece you can tell by only listening to it. wow! he's got guts to cheat like that.

[1960ari]

guts you call it?

the worse is that even to cheat you have to be musical, have you seen Horowitz or the greatests cheating? sometimes it sounds better , but him......

[Rickyr389]

yes you are right, in the most difficult part (when appear the double notes) he only plays the higher voice....is strange, with his technique he should be able to play this with 2 or 3 voices...instead of it he's a Great pianist

[1960ari]

100% agree

i met him once when he was touring with Pletnev and rach 3 , he was practising in my house.

i wish i had 1/2 of his technique, but he has never impressed me for his musicality , and sound

[celach]

agreed. :/

[kempff95]

brilliante!

b-r-a-v-o

[fikdulia]

Hmm. I think it sounded like some technical problems at 00.39!

[joshkerr]

Probably one of the most difficult if not THE most difficult concertos.

[iateyourgranny]

cool! (hm, my comment seems kinda.. short, compared to the other ones)

[Desmonddd2002]

For me, I think he did a really great job for a performance, I am sure he will speed up the tempo if it is a competition.

A performance is to make people enjoy music, while I think competition is showing people the best you can do.

I enjoyed this performance very much.

This etude is very different from Mazeppa, which is energetic. It is about something very hard to catch, a bit teasing like feeling....

He did very well

One of the best Performer of this etude I think.

[hellomate639]

It's actually related to mysterious lights on ponds, like little dancing flames. I picture spirits that flicker around...

I notice it now when I listen to some of the blurrier parts of the piece.

[chacoteris]

I can play it also. Unfortunately not always the notes are the same but you can't have everything

Fantastic playing by Lugansky

[bilibalala]

I've never even heard of him until today, He reminds me of Horowitz. This guy is truly talented in order to remind me of Horowitz

[CodyNelsonMusic]

He reminds me of myself. Only much better at piano, much better reputation, etc.

Maybe, I just wish I could be him.......

[JorPove]

Le he escuhado en grabaciones y en vivo:siempre de pulsacion inspirada y segura. Bravo por Nicolai.

[Desmonddd2002]

Oh my god I loved his rachmaninoffs...

[staphinfection]

Agreed! His Rachmaninovs are the best I've ever heard.

[trigalg693]

Too bad, because Liszt disagrees with you :P This is close to the written tempo.

[paulprocopolis]

I'm not sure that you're right. Firstly the tempo marking on the score of 'Feux Follets' is 'allegretto' and secondly, according to August Gollerich, a pupil of Liszt in the 1880s, "the master emphasised that he wished the tempo to be very comfortable".

[trigalg693]

Comfortable is a subjective thing, and if he means technically, that depends on the pianist. This is definitely pretty comfortable looking for Lugansky. Also if you can hear some of the other lines in this pieces, they sound pretty "Allegretto" to me.

[paulprocopolis]

I agree with you that Lugansky sounds comfortable with the etude at this speed, and as far as I am concerned, the effect is great. However, to invoke Liszt's (long- since inaccessible) opinion in support of one's own is, to say the least, highly questionable!

[trigalg693]

Hmm I don't know, it seems that you are the one invoking Liszt' opinion? :)

Personally I feel that anything significantly slower than this loses the "allegretto".

I think what Liszt didn't want happening was like, what Berezovsky does, where every single musical line sounds like it is some Czerny etude. However with his technical prowess, it doesn't sound bad, just not very much like what it probably was intended to sound like :O (Berezovsky plays this in about 2:52, quite incredible)

[paulprocopolis]

I was certainly quoting an opinion given by Liszt is his old age which was recorded by one of his pupils so is therefore not 'inaccessible' and is at least worth some thought even if ultimately discarded as inapplicable or just too vague. Of course we don't really know whether Beresovsky plays it 'as intended' or not, but we can express personal approval or disapproval. As it happens I agree with you. Give me Lugansky any day! Cheers.

[chrish12345]

@trigalg693 so? I doubt Liszt was likely to carry a metromone around in his pocket and he was always open to new ideas of the performer which could improve on his conceptions.

[rutado9]

uno que puede...

[Desmonddd2002]

He is just right, but you might be correct that many ppl played it too fast but he is perfect, look how flawless his double thrid movements....

[Gonec]

agree

[seryrzu]

Do you think it is fast?

Yes it is! :-)

But it isn't too fast!!

You can find Kissin playing this piece -- you will be surprised! :-)

[doofyee]

The most skill I have ever seen in any pianist!

[concerto35]

This pianists is always pleasing - just right.

[Galiah13]

He has beautiful taste, wonderful technique, real intellect - everything to be a great pianist of our time!

[frederickfrederikfre]

Lugansky,another new Liszt

[anblanco333]

como siempre de un nivel superior. Verdaderamente Lugansky es uno de los herederos de los grandes pianistas de la historia. Está en la línea de Arrau, de Cortot, de Rubinstein, de Gilels...

[scribeuisum]

DIVINO DIVINO DIVINO!!!