1. 'Chapelle de Guillaume Tell'

When comparing Liszt and Chopin, countless differences can be cited, but one decisively distinct element is the 'dignity' that Liszt possesses and Chopin does not. And this is sometimes heroic. This piece, too, should be felt and performed with such heroic dignity.

Now, let's discuss important matters in order. First, what must be known are Liszt's tempo indications. Although this piece is marked 'Lento,' implying a slow performance, the issue lies in the degree. When playing many works by a single composer, one begins to discern that composer's 'habits' or 'peculiarities.' Knowing these 'habits' is crucial information for understanding the piece. When Franz Liszt indicates 'Lento,' taking it at face value can sometimes lead to significant problems. 'Vallée d'Obermann,' written in the first year of 'Années de pèlerinage,' is marked 'Lento assai' and is in 4/4 time. If one takes this literally and plays it very slowly, a clear absurdity arises.

Please completely disregard the tempo 'Lento' as indicated on metronomes, etc. I surmise that when Liszt indicated 'Lento,' it should be interpreted as proceeding unhurriedly and leisurely. However, please do not misunderstand: when Liszt indicates 'Lento,' it does not mean fast. Please adapt flexibly according to the specific situation. There are indeed some 'Lento' markings that truly require a very slow tempo.

However, if this piece is played too slowly, various problems arise. Unlike other instruments that can sustain sound or the human voice, the piano produces an initial attack, after which the sound merely decays. It cannot sustain the same volume, nor can vibrato be applied. To make such a highly unmusical instrument sound musical, various contrivances are necessary.

Let's assume this piece is played extremely slowly. Let's look at an example. Please see measure 4. One chord sustains for two beats, and the next chord awaits on the third beat. The melody is E-C; therefore, when shaping, if the volume of C is reduced more reasonably than E, a smooth line is created. To explain in detail, one listens to the volume of the initial E and plays the next chord 'in proportion to the decay' of that volume. This allows for the shaping of the melodic line. However, if the tempo is extremely slow, the E played on the first beat must wait a long time for the next C. In that case, the C would originally have to be played quite softly to blend with the lingering resonance of the previous chord.

To avoid this, if one plays C forte as indicated, without regard, there is a considerable amount of time between the two chords, resulting in an unmusical performance that is merely two forte chords played. Therefore, please pay close attention to Liszt's tempo markings.

Another point of caution is the 'largamente' at measure 61. This is also not a tempo change from this point. Although 'rit.' is written at measure 60, 'a tempo' is ultimately not found. Here, the tempo should only slightly decrease from the tempo before measure 60. And it must flow horizontally. To achieve this, the sextuplets should be played as softly as possible. If they become too loud, they will sound harsh. Furthermore, when attempting to understand the emotion musically, it is unnatural for the excitement to suddenly dissipate. Human emotions do not cool down instantaneously. This section is still forte, a continuation of the previous part. Neither the tempo nor the dynamics change. The true calming occurs at measure 75.