Cziffra Octave Technique Revealed 

Cziffra is a kind of hero to me. He is the first pianist that really attracted me. Here in Japan, critics criticize him for boasting his technical superiority alone. However, many Japanese piano enthusiasts love him and praise him. Let critics say what they want. True piano lovers love Cziffra and will continue to listen to him. Thank you for uploading I was particularly impressed by the slow motion part. (I listened to his recitals twice in Tokyo and can never forget Hungarian Rhapsody No2 in 1977. Really exciting performance.)

One of your previous students here, didn’t realise how good quality your videos were! Keep it up and good luck in Scotland!

People mainly know Cziffra for playing liszt, but his recording of the chopin etudes is the best of all time. It is played in the same way that Liszt himself played them for Chopin. He's absolutely explosive. Cziffra's Op 10 no.4, Op 10, 12, Op 25 no. 12, and op 25 no.1 are particularly excellent. Also: a "How to Play like Marc-Andre Hamelin" would be really useful I think. He has the best technique of any pianist in human history, and I'm not over exaggerating . He is totally fluid/relaxed at all times, I have never seen anything like it. His hands are like rubber.

I think another interesting thing about Cziffra is the video of him improvising - THAT is what brings the "Liszt" part of him for me. I can only hope to be able to improvise like that some time.

Wow what a such beatuful works congrats!

Your video is extremely instructive! Bravo! Here is a fact: Cziffra could only reach a 10th (Charles Hopkins, the student and long standing friend of Cziffra told me this). Most people who can reach an 11th struggle with the 5 4 5 4 finger alternating in repeated octaves. His hand shape was rather unusual including the ability to extend the thumb jutting out the second joint of the thumb independently of the end joint. He is playing the thumb as softly as possible by not allowing it to reach the bed of the keys at all and just knocking the key down from the surface so that the motion will carry through and ultimately being the hammer to striking the string. When he plays repeated black key octaves, his wrist is raised higher so that there is less variation of hand position. There are a few extra things he is doing but this is definitely worth a special study and comparison to the similar technique which Grynyuk uses. Let me know if you want to discuss in greater detail. I think your video is marvellous and I am looking forward to watching all of your other videos! Bravo!

would you consider doing a video on how master pianists get crisp, clean chords at high speeds? so often they get muddy and unclear at increased tempos.

i agree with your analyse! i think also if you have e a big hand or large handspan, you have facilitate duty! because the h d stay completely relaxed o that you can do easily repeated octaves may be i m wrong

That's the fingering suggested by Czerny in his octave etudes opus 553.

I think it has to do with Cziffra's peculiar hand shape, esp the angle of movement/action of the thumbs. And span of fingers, as others pointed out.

What is your favorite Lisztian pianist of the 20th Century?

You should also review Martha's octaves, which are great.

Thx for this video, I tried to recreate cziffras finger switching but my hand is smaller and the result was not what I wanted😂 however that lifting of hand i common method to loose tension but again , some people may not need it. I think he switched fingers not only for less tension but for a specific sound of playing octaves. His octaves don’t sound like “Tap Tap Tap” but rather like “brrr brrrr brrrr”😂

But I don't like the sound he creates by switching 54 on the repeated notes, that's the only issue I have with it.

Changing fingers from 5-4.... isn't smart in 99% of cases. Let's get real,when you're playing repeated STACCATO octaves,using a connective fingering( as in Opus 25 # 10 Etude in octaves by Chopin& the 4th variation of Liszt's 6th Paganini Etude----youre NOT trying to sustain tension as you suggest,nor are you in any way shape or form trying to play legato.(??) If you study for example Josef Levinne who w his wife Rosina taught @ Julliard for 50 years,& also Josef Hoffman who founded the great Curtis Institute---you're going to find strongly divergent opinions contrary to using any recommendations for 5 to 4 as a solution for fast STACCATO octave playing. Look @ Brahms glissando octave section from his Paganini VariationsBook 1& Stravinsky's Petroushka 2nd page octave section( RH) or Tchaikovsky's closing section ( heavy FF octaves)in the 3rd movement of the 1st concerto.... you'll find multiple employments of differing octave techniques. I would bet dollars to donuts Liszt himself did NOT change fingers when playing repeated octaves---there's absolutely no need,as we all know octaves are played with 1) the wrist 2) the arm & 3) the shoulder -------the? finger?...... Futhermore,having played the Erlking--there's no prudent reason to change fingers---in my view it would basically be as Shakespeare's play aptly describes"Much To Do About Nothing!"