12 Transcendental Études, S. 139

The Transcendental Études are a collection of 12 piano pieces by the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt. Together with the Piano Sonata in B minor, they are considered part of the major works by Liszt and, in general, they are unanimously recognised as some of the most difficult works ever written for this instrument. Robert Schumann affirmed that the 12 Études could be played only by “ten or twelve pianists in the world, at best.” But, as was the case for Chopin’s Études Op. 10 and Op. 25, these pieces are not only a mere demonstration of virtuosity: they are some of the most authentic musical compositions! And the new expressive possibilities that Liszt explored in his 12 Trascendental Études—even beyond the canonical piano playing—had an important influence on the composers of the next decades, including Claude Debussy, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Béla Bartók, György Ligeti, and many others! Come and discover this masterpiece, played by some of the best pianists including Yunchan Lim at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 2022!