ETUDES: Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Scriabin

ETUDES

Liszt: 2 Concert Etudes, S145 & 12 Etudes d'execution transcendante, S139
Rachmaninoff: Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39
Scriabin: 3 Pieces, Op. 2: No. 1. Etude in C sharp minor & 8 Etudes, Op. 42

Pieces in Liszt’s etudes mostly focus on the challenges of specific techniques. However, Rachmaninoff’s etudes, according to Rachmaninoff himself, are “picture pieces.” He states “I don’t believe in the artist disclosing too much of the images. Let them paint for themselves what it most suggests.” In other words, these etudes go beyond the technical challenges to explore a variety to imaginative emotions. As the practice of etudes is evolving, Scriabin had made his etudes move to atonality that to some extent reflect his mystical beliefs on his music.