Franz Liszt

Etudes: Grandes études de Paganini

Liszt would not have become the artist we know, had it not been for Paganini. In turn, Liszt's absence would have made the history of music and musical performance very different. As such, it is safe to say that the 1832 concert where Liszt first heard the ''Devil's Violinist'' play was of historic importance. Following this experience, Liszt emerged renewed from his career crisis of several years and soon found his own voice as a composer. At the same time, he progressed to become the most influential piano virtuoso of all time. Liszt's Grandes études de Paganini, based on Paganini's capriccios, is one of the fruits of this exceptional encounter. Its significance is attested by François-Joseph Fétis, the prominent critic who commented on the first version, ''There! the creation of the Piano - one did not know until now what it was. ''

This revised (2018) version is based on the New Liszt Edition, complete with a new preface, critical notes, and a facsimile reproduction. This publication is printed on high quality, durable paper made from renewable raw materials in an environmentally friendly way.