La Campanella is the third of the six Grand Paganini Etudes by Franz Liszt, transcribed for piano from compositions by the great violinist, Niccolo Paganini. I have picked the pianist Yundi Li because in my opinion, he has the best interpretation of this piece.
Etudes, by definition, are compositions that are designed to build technical skill for the musician playing them. La Campanella is no different, training the player's strength and endurance with its rapid note jumps, quick repeated notes, broken chord progressions, fast runs. However what separates La Campanella and a few others from your typical etudes is that it is actually a performance worthy piece. This piece isn't your ordinary Czerny and Hanon exercises. It is far more difficult and is actually built on a melodic line, with variations and phrases.
The first part of the piece is famously known as the "bell" section. Notice the right hand's massive leaps, even making a two octave jump at one point. Here Liszt introduces the main theme with the thumb of the right hand, alternating with jumps on the pinky to the pedal point on the note of E-flat. This pedal point is referred to as the "bell" that Paganini originally used in his own piece. The left hand provides a rolled chord accompaniment.
From the beginning to about 1:20, Liszt introduces the two parts of the theme that he will repeat twice more in the piece, but in variations. The beginning to :42 can be seen as the "A" theme and the "B" section, or development section goes from :42 to 1:20. This first part is characterized by the quick turns, ornaments, and note jumps, which surround and decorate the melody.
At 1:20, Liszt goes to a variation of the first theme, but this time brings out the main theme richly in the left hand with jumps in the right hand, spanning over two octaves, once again playing E-flat pedal point, bringing back the "bell" theme from the beginning.
At 1:35, things start to get interesting. Already we have seen the technique and art of jumping notes and quick ornaments. We now see the art of lightning fast repeated notes played in the melody and form from the "A" section, which carries on to the next section, a variation of the "B" section. Liszt then expands this section with a series of long runs running up and down the keyboard, increasing in volume and speed until it hits the climax, a powerful, two handed trill at the top.
The trill begins to cede, and once again, Liszt returns to the main melody from the "A" section in the left hand while decorating it with trills and broken chord progressions in the right hand. After a quick transition, at 3:00, the right hand keeps its technique of broken chord progression, maintaining the melody, while the left hand brings out the rich basses. This part of the piece is identical in form to the part when the repeated notes first appear.
Rather than continuing the broken chord progressions in this next variation of the "B" section, both right and left hands make difficult octave and chordal jumps in contrary motion. From here on out until the end, the piece is characterized by powerful octaves that continue to pound out the main themes, with a gradual acceleration. After a series of powerful, alternating octaves, we have once again returned to the main theme, (3:57) this time in the form of octaves in the right hand, with the left hand pounding out the basses. With increasing power, strength and speed, we arrive out the double octaves in contrary motion, the transition into the Coda. Here at the Coda, both hands make massive octave/chordal jumps and in a flourish of speed and power, the piece ends with a series powerful chords, the last one in A-flat minor.
I hope that you have been enlightened and now love this piece.
Now go eat some rice.
Ray
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