Octave glissando
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The octave glissandos from the finale of Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata. (The numerals below the notes indicate fingerings; "1" indicates the thumb and "5" indicates the little finger.)

In piano playing, an octave glissando is a double glissando played by one hand at the interval of an octave.

Execution

Octave glissandi are played on the piano by maintaining a constant distance between the thumb and finger used to execute them, and shifting the whole hand in the direction of the glissandi. Maintaining the octave interval poses little difficulty for experienced pianists.

Due to the positions of the thumbs on the player's hands, octave glissandos are almost always executed upwards with the left hand and downwards with the right. However, exceptions include Balakirev's Islamey, where players are instructed to execute the glissando upwards across 3 octaves with their right hands in the Tempo di Trepak section.

Due to the pain which octave glissandos may cause to the flesh of the fifth finger, they are infrequently used in the piano repertoire. However, their inclusion offers a rare and unique musical effect.

Examples

Pieces which do utilize the effect include:

• Beethoven's First Piano Concerto
• Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata (Final Movement)
• Weber's Konzertstück in F minor
• Brahms' Variations on a Theme of Paganini.
• Balakirev's Islamey, Oriental Fantasy
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel's Piano Concerto in A minor
• Franz Liszt's Mephisto Valse No.1
• Frédéric Chopin's First Ballade (Coda)

Trivia

• Due to the high speed and soft volume of the octave glissandi in Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata, some pianists use two hands to execute the octave glissandi as if it were a scale. Pianist Wilhelm Backhaus is reputed to have played these glissandi as staccato, giving the impression it was played with both hands, when it was actually played with one.¹ However, Beethoven placed slurs on the octave glissandos, clearly indicating the use of a legato touch.

Injuries

Due to the nature of this technique, over-practicing without awareness can lead to injury, which includes superficial wounds, bruises and tendinitis.

Variations

One-handed double glissandos are sometimes executed at intervals other than an octave, the most common being sixths. Liszt's piano transcription of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique contains, in an ossia (optional replacement measure) in the finale, a glissando in sixths played upward with the right hand. Ravel's Alborada del gracioso contains glissandi in thirds and fourths.

References

1. ^ Great Pianists of the 20th Century

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