Franz Liszt

Douze Études, S. 136

LW A8 · R. 1 · 1826

Total duration: 23'

1. C major
2. A minor
3. F major
4. D minor
5. B-flat major
6. G minor
7. E-flat major
8. C minor
9. A-flat major
10. F minor
11. D-flat major
12. B-flat minor

These études exist in three versions: the Douze Études (S. 136; LW A8; R. 1) from 1826, the Douze Grandes études (S. 137; LW A39; R. 2a) from 1837–1838, and the Douze Études d’exécution transcendante (S. 139; LW A172; R. 2b) from 1851.

S. 136	S. 137	S. 139
nos. 1–6	nos. 1–6	nos. 1–6
–	no. 7	no. 7
nos. 8–10	nos. 8–10	nos. 8–10
no. 7	no. 11	no. 11
no. 11	–	–
no. 12	no. 12	no. 12

The fourth étude also exists in a further version, Mazeppa (S. 138; LW A172; R. 2c), that is a slight revision of the version found in S. 137. The étude was later used as the basis of the symphonic poem Mazeppa (S. 100; LW G7; R. 417), which also exists in versions for piano duet (S. 594; LW B38; R. 320), two pianos (S. 640; LW C13; R. 362) and solo piano (S. 511b, a revision of an arrangement by Theophil Forchhammer).

The S. 136 and S. 137 versions were intended to contain further études to complete the series of keys; the Allegro maestoso in F-sharp major (S. 692c; LW A8/13) is likely a fragment of a thirteenth étude for the S. 136 set.