Franz Liszt

Grande Fantaisie sur des thèmes de Paganini, S. 700a/ii

LW A113 · R. 231 · 1845

This piece is based on the final movement of Nicolò Paganini’s second violin concerto (op. 7) and the theme used by Paganini in his Il Carnevale di Venezia (op. 10).

The first version of the piece, Grande Fantaisie de bravoure sur La Clochette (S. 420; LW A15; R. 231), is from 1832 and uses only the concerto theme. The later version exists in two versions that are given together in the New Liszt Edition. The first (S. 700a/i; LW A113; R. 231) comprises bars 1–363; the second (S. 700a/ii; LW A113; R. 231) comprises bars 1–292 and 364–511. Both versions are incomplete, but require only small additions for performance.

Liszt used the same concerto theme in the third études from the Six Études d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini (S. 140; LW A52; R. 3a) and Six Grandes études de Paganini (S. 141; LW A173; R. 3b). There is also a set of variations on the other theme, Variations sur Le Carnaval de Venise (S. 700; LW Q7; R. 665) that has been attributed to Liszt.

Recommended editions

New Liszt Edition (Editio Musica Budapest) · Suppl. 5 · Z. A/B 14500 · ed. Adrienne Kaczmarczyk/Imre Mező

Duration: 18'

Difficulty: 5

Grande Fantaisie sur des thèmes de Paganini, S. 700a/ii