I'm a self-taught piano novice, can play easier two handed pieces (e.g. Minuet in G maj), struggling with chords. My favourite piano listening piece is BWV582, Bach's Passacaglia/Fuga from an Angela Hewitt CD. Just for fun, I looked up the score (http://imslp.org/wiki/Special:ImagefromIndex/09822) from a Eugen d'Albert transcription and had an ill-sounding go at the first page.
Of course this piece is way out of my league, but my question is about how better pianists put their fingers (or how they stretch them) when playing notes like the last 2 of the 12th bar (left hand) or the first 2 of the 16th bar (left hand).
I don't have very small hands, but this was too far. How extreme is this sort of thing? Does the spread come with practice, or should one cheat? Or is this because it's originally an organ piece?