Transcendental ÃÂtude No. 1 in C major, "Preludio" is the first of twelve Transcendental ÃÂtudes by Franz Liszt. It is the shortest étude of the set, lasting approximately a minute.
The piece begins with low octave Cs, followed by a downward run made up of an arpeggiated C<sup>7</sup> chord. A furious set of impetuous notes then climb chromatically, and it returns to the octaved Cs and the downward run. The furious set of notes climbs even higher and a set of loud chords blare in . The left hand then plays loud, low pitched trills in succession. After that, the right hand plays some intense arpeggiated figures, closing with a final chord. This étude is the least difficulty of the set barring Transcendental ÃÂtude No. 3 (Paysage).