Franz Liszt
Paganini Etude: Allegretto (La campanella)
in G-sharp Minor, S . 141 No. 3
The melody of this piece comes from a virtuoso Violin Concerto by Niccolò Paganini. Not surprisingly, Liszt's hommage is also extremely challenging, with huge fast leaps in both hands, rapid repeating notes and more.
Year: 1851
Period: Early Romantic
Piano score: Scanned score 
Audiovisual Study Tool
Liszt's magic bell
When Liszt saw Paganini play for the first time, he realized that Paganini wasn’t just playing better than anyone else, he was playing the violin as well as it could be played. He resolved at that moment that he would strive to do the same with the piano. “La Campanella,” which is based on Paganini’s second violin concerto, forces the pianist to do unheard of things: awkward trills, huge leaps with both hands, and finger-twisting technique that no one had heard before even from Liszt himself.Background
Liszt wrote a first version of this piece and called it "Grande Fantaisie de Bravoura sur la Clochette de Paganini" in 1834, after he heard Paganini perform his own second violin concerto. "La clochette" is relatively little known, and rarely performed. A few years later he produced a second version, removing a lengthy introduction, and changing the key from a minor to A-flat minor, presumably so that the big jumps would land on black keys rather than white ones, making it (slightly) easier to play. The version of ‘La Campanella’ popularly performed nowadays is the third one published in 1851 in the enharmonic G-sharp minor.Forum posts about this piece:
Is practice all it takes..? by lucasejp
People often ask me (because they know I'm, if I do say so myself, quite good at piano), whether there comes a point where a pianist's technique is sufficient enough for them to be able to practice a...
Should I try to learn La Campanella? by rasberri
I am 14 years old and I've been playing piano for 10 years. The last piece I learned was Fantasie Impromptu, which I played at around 168 bpm. While this was a bit difficult for me, I think I'm capable...
is this a realistic goal by orbulation
(i dont know whether to post this here or repertoire) So, I just started Grade 9(school) and have been in Level 9 RCM for about a month and a half. I expect to be able to play La Campanella(Liszt) by the...
Worth Playing at a Senior Recital? by winsto7
Hey all! I just was wondering if this would be worth playing at a senior recital along with La Campanella, Claire De Lune, and an original piece by me. This is meant to be non-stuffy and not classical,...
How long does it take to learn La Campanella(just the notes) for Level 9 RCM by orbulation
I want to learn Liszt's La Campanella, and I am just starting RCM Level 9 for piano. I would like to know how long it would take to learn just notes. This is to improve just my technicality, as I want to...
piano lessons by pianocat
Hi everyone, I'm new and hoping to hear some advice for my piano lessons from people here. This is my story: Recently, I restarted my classical piano lessons after 7 years break. I...
Advice on LTCL Repertoire by sy.copper
Hi everyone, I'm currently practicing and planning for my LTCL recital, and want some advice on my repertoire. Well, here it is below (times are included): Chopin Études, op. 25 no....
Pieces to improve technique by pianoman2
Hello, I am a 13-year-old student with ~3 years of experience playing piano. Of course, when I started I wanted to play all the ear-candy pieces like La Campanella and Fantaise-Impromptu. However, I now realize...
Liszt's Remarks on Tempo by sislermi
I'm learning some pieces by Franz Liszt, but there aren't metronome markings. For example, at the end of Hungarian Rhapsody 6, it says Presto, but doesn't specify a number. Same with his La...
Help w La Campanella by gimmethedeetz
I hope this is the right place to post this... I am trying my hand at La Campanella, and as expected it is taking weeks to learn. 1- I wanted to ask some advice on the best way to go about learning the...
La campanella practice by prodigybegginer
I am practicing la campanella, i need help with some variations in la campanella so i need you're help tho im still 2nd grader in...
Trying to decide what to work on next! Input is appreciated! by smuffs
Hello! I am new to this forum so excuse me if I am posting in the wrong board. Please let me know if one of the other ones fits my post better. I recently finished up some repertoire I had been...
Practice session: La Campanella from start to the end continously by stylerpiano
Hello there! Today, after a week I recorded my practice session about La Campanella again. Now I try to play it continously so I play it in a slower tempo from start to the end. I think it's...
La Campanella - whole piece - practice sections by an amateur by stylerpiano
Dear Forum mates! I know that it's a very hard piece and not for amateurs, but I'm very happy because I finally finished the memorizing of La Campanella from Franz Liszt. I memorized...
Can I learn "La campanella" within 6 month or a year? by attempt3
Hi, I'm completely new to the piano. I have played the piano for about 1 month. Is it possible for me to learn La campanella within a...
Most Performed Piano Piece? by william_ni_guang_xin
What is the most performed classical piano piece in concert? Which is the most recorded? Is there a piece that virtually all concert pianists have performed/recorded? I'm thinking La...
How do you build up a classical repertoire? by soultrap
So, here is the thing. This is going to be a relatively long post. I have a relatively small classical repertoire, and I would like to expand it. I have bee drilling and perfecting a...
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Etude - La Campanella in G-sharp Minor - No. 3 is a piano piece by the early romantic composer Franz Liszt who lived between the years 1811 and 1886.
The composition was first published in 1851 and is included in Paganini Etudes by Liszt.