What edition of the Liszt Transcendental studies are recommened? I have the Busoni and Gallico ones (which is beter?), but is there an urtext or other such edition for these pieces?
Also, when there the notes in the right hand do not coincide with the left hand notes (if the above is a triplet for instance), what is the best way to check if the note does not line up or is to be played with the left hand note? Some of the editions I used (especially for the Liszt etude #10) have notes in different places in accordance to the time they are to be played. I usually line up a paper with the notes, but when 2 editions differ, I am at a loss as to which one is accurate. Thanks!

Thankfully, a Neue Liszt Ausgabe (New Liszt Edition) encompassing the major piano oeuvre is being published under the auspices of the American Liszt Society, so we are only a few years away from an authoritative Urtext. Until then, your best bet is the Busoni edition published by dover.

As for the second half of your question, I can't understand it based on how you worded it.

[ October 10, 2001: Message edited by: Brendan ]

I hope I understood the 2nd part correctly... If you drop a perpendicular line from the note in the right hand and the line cuts through the note in the left hand, then it probably should be played together...

I guess this is what you are already doing with the paper, but if editions differ... I don't know... someone else will have an answer...

[ October 11, 2001: Message edited by: magnezium ]

#10 has two against three rhythms, which are played as such no matter how the notes line up.

I've got the Peters edition done by Emil von Sauer (a Liszt student) upon the recommendation of one of my teachers (who had studied from Angelica Morales von Sauer, Emil von Sauer's pupil and second wife). I'm not sure that this edition is any hotline straight to the heart and mind of Liszt, as Emil von Sauer claimed to have not learned much from Liszt's master classes!

What about the Editio Musica Budapest edition?

See, I think the inherent problem with editions coming from pupils of the composers is that they tend to taint it with their own musical tastes and pianistic shortcomings. Take, for example, Clara Schumann's editing of her husband's works. In the Fantasy op. 17, she strikes off the dedication to Liszt, not to mention the numerous textural and artiulcation changes that she makes, which are then later "improved" upon by Brahms in his edition of the complete works of Robert.

Another interesting example are the innumerable versions of Liszt's Saint Francis Walking on the Waves (Second Legend). Almost every major Liszt pupil had an edition of this piece greatly diferring from the original (listen to Friedheim's recording, for example).

I feel that Busoni's is more reliable because he took a more musicological route to his edition, comparing manuscripts with first editions, looking at editions presented by Liszt pupils, and finally arriving on the closest thing to an Urtext at his time. Rarely do we see him adding anything to the text, and even then it is point out something already present in the music (a melodic idea clouded by figurations) or suggestions for execution.

CrasshTest:

Where the notes line up (or don't line up) between those on the right hand staff and those on the left hand staff is really not the question. That may simply be a case of careless printing. What is essential however, are the note values. You have to observe the note values (length of the note according to the type of note it is (half, quarter, eighth, etc., or group of notes to a beat)); that will tell you where (and when) the notes sound in each hand.

One cannot overestimate the importance of counting!

Regards,