UC Santa Barbara

ABSTRACT

The Piano Technique of Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt: A Comparative Analysis and Application of their Philosophy of Technique

by

Asher Fields Severini

The purpose of this study is to examine how Frederic Chopin and Franz Liszt revitalized piano technique. Because Chopin and Liszt were both composers and pianists whose music bears many similarities, they are often compared by musicians, pianists, and listeners. It seemed natural to write a dissertation that focused on comparing their physical approach to playing the piano. The goals of this paper are to discover similarities and divergences between these pianists' methods and to see if foundational principles of their technique can be found in modern methodologies. This paper shows how their technique can be applied to playing their music and conquering technical problems. Lastly, one question I set out to answer was: “Were there particular techniques that work best for playing one specific composers’ music as opposed to the other?”My methods of research were: (1) reliable sources, (2) further discoveries through the application of their techniques to my playing, and (3) personal knowledge gained from lessons with piano teachers throughout the years. I discovered that Chopin and Liszt held similar beliefs about technique. They came up with ways of utilizing certain principles of piano technique, such as arm weight and economy of motion. They both emphasized looseness and playing with a supple wrist, along with arm-weight and efficiency, which have remained of paramount importance to modern-day pianists.