Overview
Introduction
This is the early version of the better known Grand Etudes of Paganini, S141, of 1851. These six etudes are actually transcriptions of six of Paganini's Caprices for violin solo. In the early nineteenth century, the Italian violinist Paganini made an incredible impression throughout Europe by raising violin technique to a level deemed impossible by all prior standards. The Caprices were Paganini's written compendium of his technical accomplishments. Liszt set himself the goal of accomplishing a similar task for the piano, and appropriately used Paganini as his compositional impetus. Unlike the Twelve Études Op. 6, though, this is no student work, but Liszt's own compendium of his innovations in piano technique. Although he followed the musical form of the caprices exactly, Liszt expanded the texture to orchestral dimensions. Beginning where Chopin left off in his etudes Op. 10 and Op. 25, Liszt raised piano virtuosity to levels previously unimagined. The result was a unique and brilliant style attainable only by the greatest virtuosos. This earlier version of the Paganini etudes was probably unplayable by anyone but Liszt at the time of its composition, and remains only rarely attempted today. The later, revised version (S 141) is technically easier, and thus generally more effective in performance, and is therefore the version usually heard. Regardless, it is this early version that established Liszt as the pre-eminent piano virtuoso of his time and revolutionized piano composition forever.
