For his latest album, pianist Konstantin Scherbakov pairs Franz Liszt’s Transcendental Études – an ambitious, difficult group of pieces composed with the goal of moving around the circle of fifths twice – with twelve études by Sergei Lyapunov. Scherbakov says, “The Études by Lyapunov were designed as a continuation and completion of the cycle that Liszt himself planned to write — 24 études in all keys — but Liszt had to stop in the middle. And Lyapunov, a Russian romantic composer and adorer of Liszt, completed the cycle. He just didn’t mention that his cycle was completing Liszt’s idea out of modesty. His works are very much in tune with Liszt’s writing.”
Konstantin Scherbakov: 24 Transcendental Etudes
