🎶 Start your 14-day free trial & unlock the full course today. Start Free Trial →
tonebase Piano Course

Liszt -

Transcendental Etude No. 4, 'Mazeppa'

Taught by renowned pianist

Asiya Korepanova

Join powerhouse pianist Asiya Korepanova for a lesson on Mazeppa, Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No. 4. Korepanova’s meticulous, bar-by-bar practice tips will take you a long way toward mastering this tumultuous etude.<br><br>Based on a poem by Victor Hugo, Mazeppa depicts the ordeal of a hero tied to a wild, bucking horse. Korepanova shares ideas that bring out this character while making your performance as technically reliable as possible, in particular how to use Liszt’s unusual fingering to play with vigorous, biting articulation. She offers powerful but simple strategies for tacking very challenging passages: repeat each note immediately to build endurance and independence; repeatedly loop individual beats or measures; play double notes with one voice staccato and the other legato; practice voices of chords and octaves separately; leave out parts of the texture to focus on the specific difficulties holding you back; redistribute notes between the hands; starting from the end of a passage and adding preceding notes a few at a time.<br><br>Korepanova adds to these detailed suggestions by finding the best places to “reset” yourself physically and mentally, and how to stay balanced and stable in even the most death-defying passages. Lastly, she shares her thoughts on how to make sense of the unexpected recitative (hint: it’s voicing) and triumphant coda.

  • checkmark icon
    Category: 
    Repertoire
  • checkmark icon
    Difficulty: 
    Advanced
  • checkmark icon
    Duration: 
    1
     hours
     hour

Course Syllabus

Transcendental Etude No. 4, 'Mazeppa'

Join powerhouse pianist Asiya Korepanova for a lesson on Mazeppa, Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No. 4. Korepanova’s meticulous, bar-by-bar practice tips will take you a long way toward mastering this tumultuous etude.

Based on a poem by Victor Hugo, Mazeppa depicts the ordeal of a hero tied to a wild, bucking horse. Korepanova shares ideas that bring out this character while making your performance as technically reliable as possible, in particular how to use Liszt’s unusual fingering to play with vigorous, biting articulation. She offers powerful but simple strategies for tacking very challenging passages: repeat each note immediately to build endurance and independence; repeatedly loop individual beats or measures; play double notes with one voice staccato and the other legato; practice voices of chords and octaves separately; leave out parts of the texture to focus on the specific difficulties holding you back; redistribute notes between the hands; starting from the end of a passage and adding preceding notes a few at a time.

Korepanova adds to these detailed suggestions by finding the best places to “reset” yourself physically and mentally, and how to stay balanced and stable in even the most death-defying passages. Lastly, she shares her thoughts on how to make sense of the unexpected recitative (hint: it’s voicing) and triumphant coda.

Click here to download the course workbook PDF and see the full syllabus →
Access this course and hundreds more.

Click below to access hundreds of exclusive piano courses, available only on tonebase.

Unlock Course →
Asiya Korepanova
meet YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Asiya Korepanova

The only pianist currently performing Liszt's 24 Etudes as a single program and one of few to tout a concerto list that features over 60 works, Asiya Korepanova is a pianistic powerhouse and rapidly rising star.

read full bio →
Asiya Korepanova
explore our courses

Join tonebase today to unlock this course plus 500+ more!

Preview our curated selection of courses below. With lessons covering fundamentals, technical training, style and interpretation, you won't find a more thorough and enriching learning experience anywhere else.

preview
play-button-icon
Principles of the Taubman Approach

with Robert Durso

preview
play-button-icon
Chopin Étude Training

with Marina Lomazov

preview
play-button-icon
Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2 (Brahms)

with Garrick Ohlsson

preview
play-button-icon
Inside Mozart's Piano Sonatas

with Orli Shaham

preview
play-button-icon
Music Theory Basics

with Ben Laude

preview
play-button-icon
Intro to J. S. Bach’s Keyboard Music

with Magdalena-Stern Baczewska

preview
play-button-icon
Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23 No. 5 (Rachmaninoff)

with Boris Giltburg

preview
play-button-icon
Clair de lune (Debussy)

with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet

preview
play-button-icon
Music Theory at the Piano

with Eric Wen

preview
play-button-icon
"Moonlight Sonata" (Beethoven)

with John O'Conor

preview
play-button-icon
Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66 (Chopin)

with Leann Osterkamp

preview
play-button-icon
Sonata in C Major, K. 545 (Mozart)

with Sara Davis Buechner

Listen to a few tonebase stories. Ready to start yours?

ready to begin learning?

Start your 14-day free trial today!

All plans include:
  • checkmark icon
    Unlimited access for 14-day free trial
  • checkmark icon
    Full 90-day satisfaction guarantee
  • checkmark icon
    Access to 500+ video lessons & courses
  • checkmark icon
    Structured & guided course content
  • checkmark icon
    Free PDF workbooks & annotated scores
  • checkmark icon
    Feedback from our active Community
  • checkmark icon
    Bonus: The Ultimate Practice Toolkit

Monthly

$
49.95
/mo
Billed monthly
Give tonebase a try with our Monthly plan. Cancel anytime or upgrade your plan later when you find it’s a good fit.
Select Monthly
Best Value - save 50%

Yearly

$
24.95
/mo
Billed at $299 yearly
Make music your priority for the next 365 days and save BIG with our most popular plan. You’ll be amazed what a year with tonebase can do…
Select Yearly

Lifetime

$
695
/once
Billed just once
Ready to invest in your future education? Get our Lifetime plan and gain full, unlimited access to tonebase for life!
Select Lifetime

"I don't regret for a minute having spent the money on the membership. There's something for every musician on tonebase – I recommend you give it a try."

Photo of Dave
Dave McLellan

Concert & Chamber Musician

Join over 10,000 fellow musicians improving every day on tonebase.