La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it? (2024)

La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104159801/08/08 10:43 AM

Australia, Western Australia

Hey everyone,

I wasn't too sure whether to post it here or in the Pianist section (I don't think it'll make a big difference since everyone here's pretty awesome ) but here goes:

Every since I watched a youtube video of Yundi Li performing La Campanella I've always wanted to try and learn it.

I'm just having trouble learning it straight from the start. The right hand jumping up and down keeps putting me off and I have to memorise the left hand since I keep looking at my right hand when I play the first page.

Should I give up? Is this piece simply too hard for me?

I've finished Grade 8 of AMEB but when I look back I don't think I was really an excellent student (this was about 3-4 years ago).

My repertoire for Grade 8 consisted of:
1. Prelude and Fugue XVII by J.S. Bach
2. Sonate in E flat (Hoboken XVI: 38) by Haydn
3. Cordoba by Isaac Albeniz
4. Preludio & Fuga by Larry Sitsky

I only achieved a Credit and my teacher said that it was most likely I managed a score like that (she was expecting me only to pass) was because I did the Prelude and Fugue by memory.

But now I am more mature and more determined (and also attempting Diploma with friend unassisted by teachers !!!) and hoping to learn this piece. I know its not the MOST difficult piece out there but for me it feels pretty hard.

Is there something I need to be doing in order to learn this piece and to make it easier? Or does it just come down in the end to just practice, practice and more practice?

Any advice and opinions please?

Thank you all for reading this post. I really appreciate it.

Looking forward to your replies

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104159901/08/08 11:23 AM

Lexington, Kentucky

We've gotten threads like yours several times in the past, but usually it's from somebody who's been playing a few months so it's easy to say "no frigging way!"

Your case is different. La Campanella is not, as you said, the most difficult piece out there, but it is still extremely difficult. However, you're no slouch yourself having finished Grade 8.

Let me ask you this: Do you want simply to learn the piece, or do you want to learn it at a high level of mastery? How disappointed would you be if you tackled it but never got it to expert levels?

I am somewhat ambivalent on the topic of "aspiration pieces." On the one hand I believe strongly that people should follow their hearts, and if there is a piece that is tugging at them to be learned, they should go ahead and tackle it. On the other hand, the risk in tackling a piece before you have the technique required for it is that you end up playing it badly and feel badly as a result.

Only a few months after I started playing piano, I started learning George Winston's "Longing" because it was the piece that motivated me to take up piano. It was WAY too advanced for me at the time, but I didn't let that deter me. I ended up taking MONTHS to learn the piece, and while I got it in what I consider to be decent shape (I even submitted it for a recital last year), I could recognize weaknesses in my performance. I let it fall out of my repertoire, and I intend to take it up again perhaps this year and this time learn it a lot better.

In hindsight, I think my time might have been more productively spent learning more pieces at a more appropriate level way back then. On the other hand, I loved the piece and I enjoyed working on something I loved.

I suppose a compromise might be for you to start working on the piece for a trial period, say a couple of weeks, and if you don't feel happy with your progress at the end of the trial period you put it away for a while.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160001/08/08 11:38 AM

Singapore

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160101/08/08 11:46 AM

Australia, Western Australia

Thanks alot Monica.K

For me I think I would only be happy if I could play it right. Right now I'm playing Liebestraume Nr.3 But even then its still not up to the level I want it to be. I've nearly finished it but I still need to put a few more solid hours into it.

Thanks for all your advice though. Some things are abit clearer for concerning my limitations.

As to eFatz: Congratulations on managing to learn such a difficult piece!

I'm only an amateur without and professional aspiration as I know that it's simply too late for me to even try and I don't think my education in the past regarding the piano is good enough.

Not enough money, not enough time

I will take note of what you said Monica and will keep everyone updated on my progress.

Thanks for all the replies!!

Oh and by the way, I'm 18

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160201/08/08 01:03 PM

Florida

I'd say give it a try but don't make it your main focus. Think of it as a long-term side project.

For this piece, the first 2 pages are about the easiest part of it. Practice the RH slowly and without looking at the hand or at least not to look at the high D#.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160301/08/08 01:12 PM

Ohio, USA

you can always try it, but it would take you much longer than you can imagine to be able to play it decently. note that this is not just difficult but also a long piece, unlike a Chopin etude, and without sufficient techniques, you'd expect to try to master it in years (not months) to come.

sometimes, the time is better spent on learning some shorter pieces to gain some techniques before trying this one. once you have the techniques to play it, it would take you much shorter time to learn it. this is my teacher's philosophy which he tells me all the time, and i agree with it mostly, even though sometimes, i'd try something hard against my teacher's advice. however, i failed more times than i actually succeeded in doing so.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160401/08/08 01:13 PM

Australia, Western Australia

LisztAddict,

I've been doing what you mentioned above and I'm very SLOWLY getting somewhere. I occasionally still hit C# though. I only look at the lower end of my right hand. I hope that's the correct/most efficient way of doing it

[QUOTE from LisztAddict] I'd say give it a try but don't make it your main focus. Think of it as a long-term side project.

I totally agree with that statement! I'm hoping I can at least play it up to speed with minimal mistakes by 21! Hopefully that isn't too ambitious! I love this forum!

Good night to everyone from Australia. Its past 3am here

Parents just got up and told me off

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160501/08/08 01:16 PM

Australia, Western Australia

To signa:

Any suggestions on what may be good pieces to learn? I need to pick some diploma pieces soon and I'll post them up here (I hope its not illegal Since it is coming from the AMEB official syllabus) soon as when I know what pieces I can pick! I'll need you guys to help me decide

Night!

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160601/08/08 02:01 PM

Florida

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160701/08/08 03:14 PM

New Jersey

You can learn it, but you won't master it to the standard that you would if you decide to wait.

Don't let that dissuade you though!

LA, suggesting 28/12?? That's a dangerous piece!

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160801/08/08 05:01 PM

Ohio, USA

i would also suggest some etudes, such as Chopin etudes. it's easier to master a few Chopin etudes than such a piece. i agree Chopin op.10.2 is a good idea, also, the one with 3rds (25.6?), and octave one(?).

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104160901/08/08 09:31 PM

Australia, Western Australia

Thanks everyone!

I'll start looking for those pieces mentioned above and start learning them ASAP!

I'll return to this thread when something new comes up

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161001/09/08 08:16 AM

Adelaide, South Australia

Personally I think La Campanella is neither harder nor easier than the Chopin studies, it's simply a different type of difficulty. After working on it for a while, I found it easier than I'd initially expected: Liszt has a way of writing patterns that fall under the hand very nicely.

nUtChAi, if you've only just done grade 8 AMEB, then this piece is "too hard" for you--but you can still learn a lot by being ambitious in this way, as long as you don't have unreasonable expectations.

Also, if you're thinking of going on to a diploma exam, I would strongly advise you to get some lessons. The gap between grade 8 and the A.Mus.A diploma is much larger than the difference between grades 7 and 8; I've seen a few people do quite well in exams up to grade 8 level and then suddenly fail the diploma.

Best wishes with all your plans!

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161101/09/08 10:00 AM

Australia, Western Australia

Thanks for that Alexander Hanysz

What I want to know is what you mean by "too hard". What kind of technical skills do (or should I) be lacking?

What kind of things should a pianist be able to do to learn this piece then? People tell me that learning this piece will help prepare me technically for La Campanella but I want to know HOW.

Sorry for all the questions but I've always thought that if you put in the effort and have the determination you should always eventually prevail?

Or am I being too naive here?

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161201/09/08 10:04 AM

Australia, Western Australia

As for the diploma issue, I'm not exactly aiming to finish it withing a year so I'll still put in the work and time but when I do start to find it hard then I DEFINITELY will find a teacher

I'm aiming to do it by the end of next year though

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161301/09/08 10:13 AM

Hi,

I have recently tried this piece, just to see it, and had me too problems with the jumps of the right hand in the first bars. I have solved this problem by using a right to the left approach instead of a left to the right. Knowing that a solution who works for one may sometime be without result for another one i wish you good luck on it, and , it just take five minutes to try it.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161401/09/08 11:04 AM

Florida

La Campanella is 10 pages long, and it requires many different playing techniques from start to end. It's unlikely you will be able to play this whole piece at a satisfactory level anytime soon.

Each of the preludes I suggested is 3 pages long. The Etude 10/2 is 4 pages long. Each focuses only on one specific technique. They are all difficult, but reaching the performance level of each these short pieces is quicker, and less mentally exhaustive.

Prelude 28/12. This is to train you in playing fast repeated notes using finger 2, 3, 4 in the RH, and fast leaps of octaves/chords in the LH. Playadom said "that's a dangerous piece". Yes, it is extremely difficult to play it up to the correct tempo. But it's only 3 pages long.

Prelude 28/19. This is to train you for big leaps in both hands. Again, it's a difficult piece, but it's only 3 pages long.

Etude 10/2. This is to train you to play your 3, 4, 5 fingers fast while playing something else with the thumb. You see this in La Campanella with the 3-5 (or 4-5) trill while playing the melody with the thumb, and also the 7 measures after this trill section.

The octaves in La Campanella are not terribly difficult so I didn't suggest anything to prepare you for it.

signa suggested Chopin Etude 25/6 (thirds), but I think this piece is 2-3 steps above La Campanella.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161501/09/08 01:22 PM

Ohio, USA

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161601/09/08 09:48 PM

Australia, Western Australia

Thanks LisztAddict!

To bramms: I don't get what you mean by using a right to left approach and a left to right approach.

signa,

You can always check the score out at the www.sheetmusicarchive.net

Just click on Liszt and look for the etudes based on a theme by Paganini.

Re: La Campanella : Should I attempt to learn it?

#104161701/09/08 11:03 PM

Ohio, USA

nUtChai, thanks for the link. i just took a look over the score. i was right, there're a lot octave passages, which for me would be problems if i were to learn it. i'm working on Beethoven 32 variations which has a variation with both hand octaves, and my teacher's trying to show me the techniques for it. i could play it fine, but i made bad sound and didn't know how to relax in between. "there're a lot of techniques in it", as my teacher says. so, using Chopin octave etude as an exercise might not be a bad idea. but for each person, technical problems could be different.

i'm learning Liszt's consolation 3, which is much easier than this one.