I have heard that Franz Liszt’s piano music is difficult to play, because Franz had longer than normalfingers.Supposedly, he could strike more keys and faster than any pianist of his day. Is this true? WasoldFranz considered something special as a piano player?
Also, what about Niccolo Paginini? He was a violinist who was renownwd for his very fast fingering…he was reputedly posessed by the devil. Anyone know if a modern violinist has any difficulties with the music of Paginin?
I have read that Liszt had a reach of an octave and a half on the keyboard. Pianists can enhance their reach through practice and stretching exercises, but I doubt you could ever manage an octave and a half unless your fingers were long to begin with.
I’m pretty sure I heard the SD on this years ago on Carl Haas’ radio show: the image of piano players having long, delicate fingers is a myth. and that Lizt had big, big square paws like a bricklayer.
(which may have added to his legendary sussess to the frauleins. A lot of women find big hands sexy.)
Rubenstein also had big hands. I mean no anti-semitisim but, a lot of Jewish guys do indeed have big hands. I once shook hands with the sculptor Haim Gross. I never experienced such a handshake again until the time I took my daughter to ride horses in Nevada and had my hand shaken by the wrangler.