Transcendental Étude No. 5 in

B major B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps. Its relative minor is G-sharp minor, its parallel minor is B minor, and its enharmonic equi ...

, "Feux follets" ( Wills o' the Wisp) is the fifth of twelve

Transcendental Études The ''Transcendental Études'' (), S.139, is a set of twelve compositions for piano by Franz Liszt. They were published in 1852 as a revision of an 1837 set (which had not borne the title "d'exécution transcendante"), which in turn were – f ...

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

Difficulties

As with the other works in the Études but one, ''Feux follets'' went through three versions, the first being ''Étude en douze exercices'' from 1826, the second being ''Douze grandes études'' from 1837, and third '' Douze études d'exécution trancendante'', an 1851 revision of the 1837 set. It is this last version, from 1851, that is most often performed. Its rapid double-note passages in the right hand accompanied by wide broken intervals in the left are notoriously difficult to play. In addition, the passages are often asymmetrical and unpredictable. It reaches several climaxes that are technically demanding and ends in pianissimo arpeggios. Despite the mechanical difficulties of the work, its greatest challenge lies in doing justice to its whimsical and mysterious character. ''Pianissimo'' and ''leggierissimo'' markings abound in the double-note sections, making it more difficult to play. The piece utilizes chromatic-like scales in the right hand to provide an accompaniment to the left hand, where the melody is.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Transcendental Etude No. 5 (Liszt) Transcendental 05 1852 compositions Compositions in B-flat major Compositions for solo piano Piano études