An etude is a piece of music written specifically as a practice piece to help a student develop a technical skill. This may include challenging fingerings, specific patterns, or dynamic expression. Although some etudes come off sounding like practice, some stand on their own as true pieces of beautiful music. That’s certainly the case for composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt‘s Three Concert Études.
The Romantic-era artist wrote the pieces for pianists to grow as well as have something to perform. Most famous of the three is Étude No. 3, often referred to as “Un Sospiro,” although Liszt did not give it that title. Going beyond a simple score to study, it’s one of the most gorgeous piano compositions ever made.
Technically, the song focuses on building the player’s technique through the crossing of hands. It’s built on lush, rolling arpeggios that rise and fall like a person’s breath. As that wash of emotion continues, the melody is played by crossing your left hand over your right. Keeping it all in time is quite a feat.
“On a technical level, Franz Liszt’s Concert Study No. 3 in D-flat Major, “Un Sospiro” is a skillfully delivered magic trick. Its score sprawls onto three musical staves and it sounds as if it requires, at minimum, three large and dexterous hands,” explains Timothy Judd of The Listeners’ Club. “But all of these voluptuous tones are played using an amazing slight of hand. The melody line alternates between the pianist’s left and right hands while the surrounding arpeggios remain smooth and flowing. As the piece progresses, the voicing gets increasingly complex.”
The piece begins in Db, but modulates to A at bar 19. After two more measures, the notation fits back into two staves, but an incredible run at measure 38 provides a new type of challenge. The passage brings us into the key of E, returning back to the three-stave format. Liszt uses another dramatic passage to return us back home to Db to finish the piece.
“While learning this piece, pay close attention to fingerings that are written in the score,” says Moriah Feiner Trenk on the website Grand Piano Passion. “Casual fingerings that seem sufficient during slow practice will not work when the piece is played at full speed. The fingerings are also good indications of patterns, such as harmonies that are outlined in arpeggios. The patterns of recurring notes will often have the same fingerings, and noting these patterns can aid our sense of coherence.”
“Un Sospiro,” which translates to “A Sigh,” may not have been Liszt’s title, but it certainly captures the song’s impressionistic approach. The song is mesmerizing to listen to, and watching it being performed is even more impressive.
Watch this clip of pianist Valentina Lisitsa bringing Liszt’s masterpiece to life. As busy and complicated as the piece gets, Lisitsa has a smooth technique. Her hands seem to just glide over the keyboard as notes pour out, helping to add to the elegance of “Un Sospiro.”
Put yourself to the test and get the sheet music for Franz Liszt’s “Un Sospiro”:
