Talk:Funérailles

"The piece ranks among some of the more difficult works in solo piano repertiore" : Really… I play it and I find it easier than some Liszt's masterpieces (such as the Sonata or the Mephisto-walter). I may be wrong. Do somebody have any references to assert this sentence.

Alexander Doria 16:50, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

Nice catch Alex. :) Even I can klutz my way through parts of it and trust me, I am no Virtuoso Pianist. I'll change that sentence to be a bit more accurate. K. Lásztocska 17:35, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

In fact I believe that the one one who put this information had in mind Horowitz's interpretation. Actually, Horowitz speed up dramatically during the military march. And, with the octaves at the left hand, it seems almost impossible to play. But Liszt never indicates that the player have to speed up. Thereby, the march stands much more easier. Alexander Doria 13:20, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

Hmm... in my version, the player is indeed told to speed up. 92.17.139.127 (talk) 13:36, 3 September 2008 (UTC)

Hello Mr. Doria, I find it that very few professional pianists can play Funerailles in a presentable manner - it is one thing to make your way through it, and another to put in a memorable performance. (You might well be one of those who play it marvelously though - do you have a recording for us to hear?) If the objective is to play it as originally and effectively (perhaps not as faultlessly) as e.g. Zimmerman or Horowitz does (as should be for anyone who attempts such a piece in a concert or on commercial recording) then Funerailles is one of the more difficult pieces in the repertoire indeed. The octaves have to be rather fast otherwise the section looses it's character. It's cavalry charging in battle isn't it? However, 'one of the more difficult pieces' is a very subjective/elusive/amorphous term so the writer did well to remove it. Best! - Gerge —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.186.115.126 (talk) 13:20, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

To Mr. Doria and all who have written here. I would agree there are "parts" of Les Funerailles which are not beholden to necessary "high" technical prowness, altho certainly the octave middle section does. The thing about Les Funerailles which sets it into that upper level advanced category is HOW it is played....the very nature of interpretive melody in the slower sections. How LONG do you hold an extra note a nanosecond before falling into the next? Its the FEELING of the piece, the grief, the remorse, the anxiety and yet hope that follows and threads throughout the entire composition. One can learn how to do octaves quickly through technical practice....however, its the playing from the heart that makes this such a unique composition. Jody —Preceding unsigned comment added by RhapsodyMoonlight (talk • contribs) 17:25, 14 April 2010 (UTC)