Here are Liszt’s 12 Transcendental Etudes, S. 139, ranked from easiest to hardest on Road to Virtuosity.
-
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 1 "Prelude"
700,000 Points · Level 9 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 3 "Paysage"
1,050,000 Points · Level 9 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 6 "Vision"
3,250,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 7 "Eroica"
4,000,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 9 "Ricordanza"
4,400,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 11 "Harmonies du Soir"
5,200,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 10 "Appassionata"
5,950,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 12 "Chasse-neige"
6,100,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 2
6,600,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 8 "Wilde Jagd"
6,600,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 5 "Feux Follets"
7,250,000 Points · Level 10 -
Liszt - Etude d'execution transcendante S. 139, No. 4 "Mazeppa"
8,000,000 Points · Level 10
Quick facts from the RTV ranking
The easiest Liszt Transcendental Etude on this list is S. 139, No. 1 "Prelude", with 700,000 RTV points.
The hardest Liszt Transcendental Etude on this list is S. 139, No. 4 "Mazeppa", with 8,000,000 RTV points.
Only two etudes in the set are listed below Level 10: No. 1 "Prelude" and No. 3 "Paysage". Even these are still advanced Level 9 works.
No. 2 and No. 8 "Wilde Jagd" are tied on RTV at 6,600,000 points.
The famous Feux Follets is one of the hardest etudes in the set, but it is not ranked as the hardest on RTV. It is listed at 7,250,000 points, just below Mazeppa.
The original order of the etudes does not follow difficulty. Some of the earlier numbers are among the hardest, while later pieces such as Ricordanza and Harmonies du Soir are still massive Level 10 works but sit lower than the most extreme pieces in the set.
Liszt Transcendental Etudes in original order
Etudes d'execution transcendante, S. 139
-
S. 139, No. 1 "Prelude"
View piece — 700,000 points — Level 9 -
S. 139, No. 2
View piece — 6,600,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 3 "Paysage"
View piece — 1,050,000 points — Level 9 -
S. 139, No. 4 "Mazeppa"
View piece — 8,000,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 5 "Feux Follets"
View piece — 7,250,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 6 "Vision"
View piece — 3,250,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 7 "Eroica"
View piece — 4,000,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 8 "Wilde Jagd"
View piece — 6,600,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 9 "Ricordanza"
View piece — 4,400,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 10 "Appassionata"
View piece — 5,950,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 11 "Harmonies du Soir"
View piece — 5,200,000 points — Level 10 -
S. 139, No. 12 "Chasse-neige"
View piece — 6,100,000 points — Level 10
About RTV points and levels
Road to Virtuosity uses both points and levels to show difficulty. Levels give a broad category, while RTV points give a more specific ranking within that category.
RTV points are based on the overall difficulty of learning and performing a piece. This can include factors such as length, tempo, rhythm, hand coordination, articulation, voicing, repeated notes, jumps, musical control, endurance, and the amount of consistency needed to perform the piece accurately.
Because points are more detailed than levels, two pieces can have the same level but still have different RTV point values. The piece with more RTV points is ranked as more difficult.
About Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes
Liszt’s 12 Transcendental Etudes, S. 139, are among the most demanding works in the piano repertoire. They are not just technical studies. Each etude has its own dramatic character, musical world, and specific technical challenge.
The set includes explosive short etudes, massive heroic works, delicate textures, stormy octave writing, wide leaps, rapid passagework, thick chordal writing, and long pieces that demand both virtuosity and musical control.
Unlike a beginner method book or progressive study collection, these etudes were not designed to move gradually from easy to hard. On RTV, nearly the entire set reaches Level 10, but the point values still show major differences between the pieces.
Why this ranking is useful
The word “etude” can be misleading. In some collections, etudes are short teaching pieces. In Liszt’s case, the Transcendental Etudes are full concert works that push the limits of piano technique.
Even the easier pieces in this set are not easy. A piece like Prelude may be short, but it is still fast, brilliant, and advanced. A piece like Paysage may sound calmer, but it still requires serious musical control and a high level of playing.
This is where the RTV ranking helps. Instead of treating all 12 Transcendental Etudes as equally impossible, each piece receives its own point value and level.
That makes it easier for advanced pianists and teachers to compare the pieces, choose a realistic starting point, and understand the difficulty spread inside one of the most famous virtuoso etude collections ever written.
Complete book on RTV
View Liszt - 12 Transcendental Etudes - S. 139 on Road to Virtuosity
The complete RTV edition includes all 12 Transcendental Etudes, S. 139 by Franz Liszt, with individual piece pages, RTV points, levels, sheet music files, and full book files.