Three Concert Études

Three Concert Études (Trois études de concert), S.144, are a set of three piano études by Franz Liszt, composed between 1845–49 and published in Paris as Trois caprices poétiques with the three individual titles as they are known today. As the title indicates, they are intended not only for the acquisition of a better technique, but also for concert performance. Liszt himself was a virtuoso on the piano. Due to an unusual flexibility in his fourth fingers, he was easily able to play many complex patterns some consider difficult. The Italian subtitles now associated with the studies – Il lamento ("The Lament"), La leggierezza ("Lightness"), Un sospiro ("A sigh") – were not in early editions.

Étude No. 1, Il lamento

Il lamento is the first of Liszt's Three Concert Études. Written in A-flat major, it is among the composer's longest pieces in this genre. It starts with a four-note lyrical melody which folds itself through the work, followed by a Chopin-like chromatic pattern which reappears again in the coda section. Although this piece opens and ends in A-flat major, it shifts throughout its three parts to many other keys including A, G, B, D-sharp, F-sharp and B.

Sigh (film)

Sigh is a 2000 Chinese drama film directed by Feng Xiaogang, written by Wang Shuo, starring Zhang Guoli, Liu Bei, Xu Fan and Fu Biao. Like most of Feng's films, the film is set mostly in Beijing.

Plot

Liang Yazhou (Zhang) is a successful, middle-aged TV screenwriter from Beijing. While in Hainan working on a new script, Liu Dawei (Fu) assigns young and beautiful Li Xiaodan (Liu) to him as an assistant. Yazhou and Xiaodan are mutually attracted to each other, but Yazhou is already married to Song Xiaoying (Xu), with whom he has a daughter. To break off the connection, he changes his plans and returns to Beijing. However, as soon as Yazhou and Xiaoying return to Beijing, they begin having an affair.

When Xiaoying finds out about Yazhou's affair, she is furious and initially demands a divorce. Relations between Yazhou and Xiaoying become extremely strained. They separate, and Xiaoying eventually accepts Yazhou's affair for the sake of their young daughter Yueyue. Despite Xiaoying's tolerance, Yazhou remains caught between the two women, on one hand being spoiled by Xiaodan and, on the other, being an attentive father in front of Xiaoying and Yueyue. Even with Xiaodan demanding marriage, Yazhou finds himself unable to divorce his wife, due to the harmful impact their separation has already had on Yueyue.