To understand this law of relativity, let us examine the general tempo word hierarchy from slow to fast, according to common logic and most sources: Allegretto is a Relative Speedīut just how fast or slow is Allegretto, anyway? Like all musical tempo and character words, Allegretto is a “relative” speed compared to the faster indications Allegro and Presto or slower indications Andante and Moderato. Just because you are a great pianist who can play better, cleaner, and faster than everyone else, this does not make you immune from making glaring errors in logic, such as the popular belief that Allegretto means as fast as possible. Pianists love to ignore this fact and the greatest pianists in the world are no exception. The last time I checked the dictionary, Allegretto was significantly slower than Presto. This is like trying to argue that 1 + 1 = 3. Some pianists will put forth erroneous arguments advocating that La Campanella should be as fast as possible. The problem is that most pianists are in denial that they think this way (even if they are not aware that they think this way) and their first mode of defense is to create “straw man” arguments if anyone should bring up the issue of La Campanella being marked only Allegretto. Pianists should be embarrassed that they actually believe this sytem of logic. The above system of logic is flawed on so many levels. Therefore, this proves that La Campanella should be played as fast as possible. The “mob mentality” system of logic runs like this:Īll famous and influential pianists play La Campanella as fast as possible.Īll famous and influential pianists are great and smarter than the “average” non-famous pianist.Īll famous and influential pianists are authorities who cannot be questioned. Most pianists inadvertantly fall into the “mob mentality” category of musicianship. Learn La Campanella from a Master - Get 20% Off Your WRP Membership (offer good through July 31, 2022) and gain access to a full 13-video tutorial series on “La Campanella”: Coupon code ABPUWAA72S Introduction This article gets to the nitty-gritty of an inconvenient truth concerning tempo in La Campanella. Indeed, the general consensus among pianists is to ignore Liszt’s Allegretto indication, and instead, to play it Presto or Prestissimo. One would expect such an ultimate litmus test type piece to be Presto or at least Allegro at the slowest however, for some strange reason the general consensus among pianists is that La Campanella should be played as fast as possible. It has become the ultimate “litmus test” for pianists to show off their technique and bravura playing, which is strange piece to select for this category since it is only marked Allegretto. (Abstract) Franz Liszt’s (1811-1886) arrangement of Nicolo Paganini’s (1782-1840) La Campanella is arguably the most popular classical piano piece on YouTube.
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