La Campanella

La Campanella ( Italian: the little bell) in G sharp minor Etude is the third of the "Six Grandes Etudes de Paganini " for piano by the composer and pianist Franz Liszt.

The piece is based on a theme from the last movement of the Violin Concerto in B minor of violinist Niccolo Paganini, a rondo in which the harmonies are supported by the ringing of a hand bell.

Liszt had already used the theme in its variations " Grande Fantaisie de Bravoure sur ' La Clochette ' de Paganini " h - Moll (1831-1832) for piano. He then reworked the piece in the third etude of the 12 Etudes d' exécution transcendante new in A flat minor on. The final version of the " Grandes Etudes de Paganini ," which is now the most popular and most played is listed in G sharp minor. The etude is played in medium tempo ( Allegretto ) and is essentially a sequence of different finger exercises for the right hand: at the beginning there are huge staccato jumps right hand (thumb to little finger up to 2 octaves ) for which the piece infamous is. The following are exercises for the tension of the right hand ( arpeggios 2 octaves), octave change of fingers exercises, trills, runs under the weaker fingers almost exclusive participation, of course, the obligatory Liszt quart sixth chord stairs and at the end of chromatic octave runs. The melody is almost continuously played by the left hand. However, since the problems are limited to the right hand, the piece for large, trained hands is not as difficult as it is commonly represented. It is mainly a very effective piece that is gladly given as an encore (eg by the pianist Emil Gilels ).

Audio files

La Campanella, played by Romuald Greiss on a Budynowicz piano from 1850 ( file? )