In 1826, 15-year-old Franz Liszt wrote his first cycle of studies which he actually wanted to be seen as a grand étude consisting of 12 different exercises, as an 'Etude en douze exercices'. Each of these exercises, however, is an independent study dealing with a certain technical problem. Although they became a model of Liszt's great études ('Grandes Etudes') later, these early works were still a far cry from the technical demands of their big siblings. They are all the more suited in advanced ...