BEETHOVEN-LISZT Symphony No. 5 I - Lesson sample

Recorded in 1996. This is a sample clip of Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5 arranged for piano by Franz Liszt, with tips on performance, and visuals of the keyboard notes in C-minor. This is a good way to lose extra weight, and get to know the Symphony itself. Much of the higher piano literature is very athletic, and for much of sports-worshipping society to regard piano playing as for wusses only, they have yet to try this piece, and find out how Liszt will kick their butts. Playing material like this, one breaks out in a sweat, physically and intellectually exhausted at the end, and appreciates all the more the dexterity and precise aim of Liszt's hands on Beethoven's piece.

The expense of such an undertaking is perhaps comparable to the expense of training for Olympics, because you need corporate Sponsors, able coaches and $100k Steinway or Bosendorfer equipment to get it sounding right. Nevertheless, on a budget, one can "attempt" this on electronic plastic keyboards, but it will never quite be the real thing. Piracy destroyed much of the corporate sponsor part (for instance the former mp3.com paying its better artists royalties per click), but that's another long unheralded story of Epic proportions...

For clarification, this is not "the" most difficult, but according to acclaimed concert pianist Leslie Howard, it ranks up there. Particularly the 4th movement, with its fast right & left hand octave runs and leaps (not shown here, but in another posting of mine for the 4th movement).

It is different "kind" of difficulty than, say, the concertos of Rachmaninov, which talented ladies even with small hands can play, because those are mostly chromatic. However, the Liszt transcriptions need large basketball-player hands, and plenty of athletic stamina to work through a straight 1 hr of non-stop dextrous playing. Hence it is in a difficulty class all by itself, which Leslie encourages all to study, if not to learn symphonic structure.

I cannot myself play it "perfectly", but that is not the point of the lesson. It is merely to show the Bach-like polyphony, as well as appreciate the symphony itself.

So nevermind the misguided comments by sean and tomcat here, which miss the point and border on anti-semitic. The music of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach etc., and plays of Shakespeare, Dante, etc. all share in common a deep judeo-christian respect for concepts of sin and virtue. This is expressed in the wonderment of our compositions, our way of prayer through notes, of marvelling at Creation itself.

Hence, I invite you to sit back, and enjoy this imperfectly rendered demo from my early days of just starting to learn piano and symphonic composition, and kindly respect our (us composer's) beliefs, which are very infused with our combined Works.

Yours truly,

See the full lesson and performance on www.MuSeeks.com/ArthurSulit

available for download soon, or on the DVD 'Piano Moments'

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• BEETHOVEN
• LISZT
• Franz
• Ludwig
• van
• SULIT
• piano
• lessons
• version
• two
• hands

[lllllllllllllll88]

Are you playing the same version as this one? The video below seems to start an octave higher. I'm a little confused. Which is the original, or is that kid just starting it an octave higher because it sounds better?

watch?v=L_w1zGm_zEc

Thank you.

[musicLessons2]

@lllllllllllllll88 mine is the orig. The kid murders the piece in the opening, poor guy. But he makes a valid heroic attempt the rest of the way...

[PianoTHIS]

it must be hard because you can't play it either. lol

[musicLessons2]

@PianoTHIS -- so true. Boring piece. Hard to play boring pieces...yawhn. Also hard to tell if u suck or not. U should talk more about asian kid's doting parents, and not restrain ur true feelings.

[KrimeForArt]

Liszt... Hungary rules :D

[musicLessons2]

Hungary for food? Jus kidding. Liszt became Priest, because he repented Cosima, and was a good man. So Hooray for Lizst!

[DutchKell]

I started playing piano when I was 18 years old, and now I'm 21 and playing a sorts of things. Like popsongs and classic music like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart. When u have the good feeling for music, you can learn some instrument at any age I believe!

I play without sheetmusic, I watch and remember, most of all youtube :)

Good luck!

[byrobyro]

wow. I think i'll stick to learning fur elise.

[Adamalgorithm]

@DutchKell I started 2 years ago and now you can see I can play some easy pieces. It is never late to learn.

[STARCHILDTHAPRODUCA]

I learnt when I was a child but I gave it up at 10. I have been pleasantly surprised to discover this all coming back with a bit of effort! So exciting. So I think if you watch a tutorial here then look at the sheet music directly after and you have a theory book you will grasp v quickly! Best thing is to play everyday, morning prefered see how you feel in a few weeks!

All the best! :)

[STARCHILDTHAPRODUCA]

Good job! ;]

[sinakon]

lol omg i was learning that for school

[DaNerfGang]

nice playing :D i like it

[lieutnantmaster]

Before I start learning this I better go learn notes in the first place..