Franz Liszt was a composer who constantly revisited and reimagined his own works, leaving behind multiple versions that reveal his evolving artistry. His 12 Grandes Études, S137, later transformed into the Études d’exécution transcendante, S139, exemplify this creative process. Originating from his earlier Étude en douze exercices (1826), these studies chart Liszt’s growth from prodigy to visionary, pushing pianistic and harmonic boundaries. Far beyond displays of technique, these Études embody a fusion of profound musical thought and extreme technical demands – one reason they remain rarely recorded. This new recording, the first ever on a historical instrument, brings fresh insight into one of Liszt’s most daring achievements.

Performed on the 1873 Steingraeber-Liszt piano