Liszt, Transcendental Études, S.139, No. 12 (“Chasse-neige”) [Cheung Chit]

The 12 Transcendental Études were written by Franz Liszt, published in 1852 as a revision of an 1837 set of etudes, Douze Grandes Études, which was an elaboration on the thematic ideas in his first set of etudes, Étude en douze exercices, published in 1826.

The etude chosen was the last from the 12 Transcendental Études. Its French programmatic title, “Chasse-neige”, translates to “snowstorm” in English. This etude is originally a study in tremolos. Programmatic titles to each etude were only added in the 1852 Transcendental Études but not in the original 1837 and 1826 ones, when the etude as an artistic, programmatic genre was on the rise since Chopin’s pioneering works published in the 1830s – Liszt may have intended this final version of the etude to depict a snowstorm.

This etude is of typical early to mid-romantic era style – it is homophonic with a modified ternary (ABA’) structure. It employs a wide range of register with a lot of chromatic and color notes hinting or modulating to distant keys, such as the E major in section B or the hints at F keys at mm. 37-47 before returning to the tonic B-flat minor at measure 52, beginning section A’. Variations in dynamics are more dramatic and tempo rubato is employed in performing.

Overall, the use of a flat minor mode gives a looming, cold atmosphere to the piece. The first depiction of unrelenting snowstorm is heard at the beginning in mm.1-2 (where the 2-phrase main theme in the right hand is stated with a counter-motif in the left hand, see example 2) and throughout the piece – broken chords and tremolos in rapid 32^nd and 64^th notes. They help to maintain harmonically the “cold” depicted by the key. At some point, they sounded like relentless snowfall.

Example 1 Transcendental Études, no. 12, “Chasse-neige,” mm. 1-2

Example 2 Transcendental Études, no. 12, “Chasse-neige,” mm. 1-4

 

The unstable snowstorm variates as much and as dramatically as the main theme and the whole piece. As the main theme variates, there begins more crescendos, and the texture gradually thickens to include big arpeggiated/octave main theme and larger broken-chord tremolos (instead of single-note ones in mm.1-2) in both hands towards measure 16. The 2-octave left hand jumps further bring this piece to extreme registers, as if the snowstorm is getting thicker, wider and heavier with the piece. However, at mm. 16-21, there are longer decrescendos with one lengthy crescendo in between, as if depicting a slow gust of wind. The texture reduced to similar to the beginning of the piece, but with tremolos in large broken chords still. This is as if the storm has some drawback before lashing out again at measure 22 in E major – most prolonged storms also vary from time to time, sometimes being less heavy for a few seconds before the next heavy pour.

The perfect cadence in E major at mm. 24-25 marks the beginning of section B (see example 3). The texture then reduced to the same as the beginning of the piece and built up again towards measure 36, returning to the tonic key – the storm has lightened itself for a while before becoming heavy again. The tonic key was not yet established – instead the dominant key of F was stated at measure 37, with modal borrowing from both the major and minor modes until measure 47. At mm. 37-47 new variations of the theme in F appeared and phrases continued on and on between both hands (example 4 shows two sets of continuations), further pushing the unstoppable image of the snowstorm.

Example 3 Transcendental Études, no. 12, “Chasse-neige,” mm. 24-25

Example 4 Transcendental Études, no. 12, “Chasse-neige,” mm. 37-41

 

The most noteworthy feature in these 10 measures is the winding chromatic runs. They can be seen elongating at the low register in the left hand in example 4 – depicting strong cold gusts or rolling thunders – gradually spanning larger ranges with more notes until measure 48 where it erupts into a dramatic cadenza-like passage (example 5). The dynamic is the most dramatic of the piece – first the run dimmed into a pianissimo at measure 47, then undergoing a long crescendo into fortissimo as the right hand doubles at measure 48 in one single measure, ending with a sforzando at the end of the restatement of the main theme with arpeggiated left hand chords. It resembles the long whistle of the winds in HK during a T8 signal storm, but at a much lower rumbling.

Example 5 Transcendental Études, no. 12, “Chasse-neige,” mm. 46-49

 

The restatement of the main theme and the tonic key in example 5 marks the beginning of section A’, which was much louder than section A, and scattered with all the elements of the storm – rapid broken chord tremolos, octaves doubling the main theme in one or both hands, long winding chromatic runs. The storm ceases towards the end as shorter chromatic runs appeared in thirds and the piece undergoes a long and gradual poco a poco decrescendo into the tonic block chords at the end – suddenly halting with a sforzando.

Compared to impressionistic composers, romantic ones like Liszt conceptualizes nature in a more subjective, idealized way, that the drama, power, and strength of the storm is shown in this etude. Facing extreme weather, humans often feel as wee as we are in the universe. Nature is conceptualized and depicted with a sense of seriousness, if not a holiness that we must comply to. The virtuousness and dramatic stirs in this piece evoke a feeling of facing the huge, broad nature, of which our living is at mercy.