La Campanella
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La Campanella is a piano etude written by virtuoso pianist Franz Liszt as part of a series of the six Grandes Etudes de Paganini ("Grand Paganini Etudes"), S. 141. As this name suggests, it is based on a theme of Niccolo Paganini. The 'Campanella' theme is borrowed from the final movement of Paganini's Violin Concerto in B minor, a rondo in which the harmonics were reinforced in the ringing of a handbell.
Liszt had already used the theme for a an earlier set of variations, Grande Fantaise de Bravoure sur "La Clochette" de Paganini in B minor for piano in 1831-32. He then revised the piece as Etudes d'Execution Transcendante d'apres Paganini ("Trancendental Etudes after Paganini") No. 3 in A-flat minor, S. 140—not to be confused with Études d'exécution transcendante S. 139. The final version of Grandes Etudes de Paganini, which is the now most commonly published and recorded of the available variations, is written in the enharmonic key of G-sharp minor.
The etude is played at a brisk pace and studies jumping between intervals larger than one octave. As a whole the etude can be used to increase dexterity, and accuracy at large jumps on the piano, and agility with the weaker fingers of the hand. The largest interval reached is that of a fifteenth, in which a sixteenth note is played, and then the same note is played two octaves higher with no rest to provide the pianist time for to move the hand; thus forcing the pianist to avoid tension. The etude also involves other technical difficulties eg. trills with the fourth and fifth fingers.
"La Campanella" has inspired various transcriptions by other composers and pianists, most notably Feruccio Busoni.