1. A large gesture can begin slowly
Liszt’s broad textures invite us to think beyond individual keys. Before tackling rapid octave passages, learn to arrive at a new position with a clear sound and a hand that can release. A slow passage makes that work easier to hear.
In the Second Ballade, S.171, measures 20–21, a pause opens into Lento assai. The LH moves from C♯3 to a low F♯ octave, then carries its octave line upward. The RH holds a different rhythm above it: the two hands need not make every change together.
Preparation: comfortable octave placement and the ability to release between positions. This is a short look into advanced repertoire, not a claim that the complete Ballade is an intermediate assignment.
Reduce before you stretch
Play only the LH upper notes first: C♯3, F♯2, G2, A2, B2. Keep the half rest’s fermata in the RH and the held C♯’s fermata in the LH together; after the pause, preserve the quarter rest before the F♯ octave enters.
Then add the lower octave notes only if the span is comfortable. Try 5–1 for each octave at this slow tempo, releasing between changes. The low register can grow heavy very quickly: listen for a moving line rather than a sequence of impacts.
Watch out · The RH spans more than an octave
The first RH chord reaches A♯3–C♯5, a tenth. Do not force it. For this preparation, omit its lowest note and play the upper pair; that is a deliberate reduction of the printed score. A full performance needs an individually planned redistribution or roll.
Source: Vassily Checkin, Mutopia 236, public-domain transcription; underlying edition unspecified. Pitch, rhythm and fermatas retained; layout adapted. No source fingering is claimed.
2. Rehearse arrival, then connect the phrase
The original study below uses a gentler harmonic setting to practice the same broad coordination. Its rests belong to the music: use them to release the LH octave and prepare the next place. The RH should sound like one phrase above that movement.
Build a reliable landing
- Play the LH upper notes alone. Say the next destination before moving. Begin with generous pauses between bars, then restore the printed pulse.
- Add the lower octave note where comfortable. Place both notes together at a modest dynamic; do not squeeze the octave while moving through the air.
- Play the RH alone, shaping each two-bar phrase. Its half notes should remain alive while the LH has a rest.
- Join the hands without pedal. Keep the LH quieter than the RH, especially when returning to the low G.
- Try a small amount of pedal, clearing on each change of harmony. Preserve the LH rests as releases of the hand even if some resonance continues.
Bigger is not automatically louder
Repeat once at p and once at mf. Use the same destinations and basic route; change the sound without enlarging every gesture. A movement that feels manageable softly is a better starting point than a loud leap rescued by pedal.
Listen closer · The sustained hand keeps the phrase moving
While the LH travels, the ear can follow the RH’s held notes toward the next harmony. Think of carrying that sound forward rather than waiting for the next bass event.
Checkpoint: the octave notes arrive together, the RH is not shortened by the LH rests, and the fourth bar sounds like an arrival. Return to the Ballade’s two bars with the same listening priorities. Fast octave chains and larger leaps require a separate gradual progression; this preparation establishes placement and balance first.