Alkan is a strange composer, in the modern day. You either have classical music enthusiasts who detest his music and/or existence, and then you have the Alkan cultists who think he is the greatest pianistic composer/performer of all time. I rarely find any people in the middle grounds like myself lol
I would consider myself pretty middle ground. There are some Alkan works that I consider some of the best classical music of its time and others that I consider to be some of the worst lol. I just don’t talk about that discrepancy/middle road very often.
To be fair, this can be said for quite a number of composers. Schoenberg, Britten, Feldman, and Delius just to mention a few. For Alkan, I definitely like some pieces but do think it's sometimes just virtuosity for it's own sake. His op. 63, the Esqusses, are quite good though.
“Pleading” is such a perfect word for those arpeggios - have been trying and failing to describe how that section feels for years, and you landed on it perfectly
Its the most basic march of chord with 7th its been used all over classical music for ever, i has just haded a bunch of vistuosity but nothing very subtile theses march have been so much more well written by even baroque composers
I had the strangest feeling listening to a part of the "Overture" for the first time where it felt like I had heard it before ... almost in another life. I still get a thrill when that passages comes up, and I still have the same feelings. Weird.
It's impressively virtuosic, and well-performed. But I rarely find any Alkan that moves me. I know there are many that idolise him, and I would love to 'get it' - and get switched on to him, but I remain just impressed at the technique more than the music.
@@toothlesstoe most pianists choose not to waste their time playing garbage. Sorabji is "rarely played" not because he's exceptionally difficult, but because noone wants to play his noise.
I started ww3 of the classical piano community by saying alkan should be on the same level as chopin and liszt and after listening to alot of his music I take back what I said
Possibly because his music is normally technically way harder than Chopin or Liszt But in his time he is known to be in the same league as Chopin and Liszt, but slowly died out
@@WEEBLLOM Excuse me? Alkan might be an ultimate virtuoso but he has really good pieces as well, for example his symphony/concerto for solo piano, the sonatine op. 61 and much more If you think his music is ONLY virtuoso though you might very well be mistaken, one good example is his barcarolles, truly musical.
Probably because the flashy bits tend to be remembered, and Alkans flashy bits are generally pretty uninteresting from most musical perspectives. Most things you see of clipped stuff of Alkan is a bunch of big chords go BRRRR without much harmonic or rythmic interest. Chopin succeeds in a much more interesting way weaving insane amounts of musical thought even in the most technically demanding pieces. Overall the kind of Alkan showed here isn't that special, it isn't hard to write something that sounds like that, writing something that sounds like a purebred Chopin climax is hard. That isn't to say Alkan hasn't written very intricate music, this isn't that though and the things that sound hard and cool tend to get the spotlight.
@@viggojonsell9754 I guess I can definitely agree with that, although there is some bits in the symphony or concerto that is rememberable and hard… but Liszt’s virtuoso is simply on another level.
As an Alkan super fan, I have never believed this to be one of his strong works (I've also never fully come around to the Grande Sonate). The concerto for solo piano and even the symphony for solo piano are much more profound virtuoso works, ESPECIALLY the concerto. Also, Trois Grandes Etudes Op. 76 are magnificent, and utterly important to the history of one-handed piano music (ESPECIALLY right hand only repertoire). But for Alkan haters, there are plenty of not-crazy-hard works that should be a part of the standard repertoire, like the Chant in E Major Op. 38 Book 1 No. 1 (and a few other Chants... they're modeled off of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words), Nocturne in B Major Op. 22, Petit Conte, and various Preludes and Esquisses. Also, I recommend the Op. 35 Major Key etudes (some more than others, but it is a solid set overall). For virtuoso works, try the Grand Duo Concertant Op. 21 and Sonate de Concert Op. 47. You will quickly hear that he also was quite good at composing for strings when he was inspired. Alkan is hit or miss, and sadly, it seems after all these years people seem to focus on the supervirtuosity of some of his works, often the misses, which causes people to only think he composed second-rate works, and never try digging deeper to see if there's anything better.
I think knowing that this was Alkan overture by literally have an imaginary audio in my head play when I saw the score probably means I know this piece a little bit too well 😅
@@luden6794 Ну это чаще происходит в уставшем состоянии, простая музыка нравится в период восстановления, потом уже сложная. Музыка Чайковского, Вагнера дольше завлекает
I know lots of people love Alkan, but I just hear noise. And before anyone says I'm uncultured or deaf or whatever, I have a master's degree in piano performance and am fully versed on the subject. I just don't like Alkan.
@@peter5.056 Ah but then, like his music or not I’d imagine no one, like no one with normal skills or whatever would like playing his music. Whatever piece it is, they are too challenging for our own good xD
@@snorefest1621Jack Gibbons is a crazy goat but certainly not perfect at every Alkan piece, though I'd rather be him and be able to play all of Alkan than be me and know only one Alkan piece 😂
@@none5020 I mean I can sightread all Alkan pieces technically 🤷 (if I get a few takes and splices). There's just not enough demand for his music rn, so I shall focus on his obscure repotoire on my Instagram page
why are pianist so fond of making fermatas on accented chords? it stops the flow and destroys the rythm. really would like to hear someone playing this without all the stops...
Alkan is a strange composer, in the modern day. You either have classical music enthusiasts who detest his music and/or existence, and then you have the Alkan cultists who think he is the greatest pianistic composer/performer of all time. I rarely find any people in the middle grounds like myself lol
Its not for me
I would consider myself pretty middle ground. There are some Alkan works that I consider some of the best classical music of its time and others that I consider to be some of the worst lol. I just don’t talk about that discrepancy/middle road very often.
Very well analyzing comment. I love this so fix it!
To be fair, this can be said for quite a number of composers. Schoenberg, Britten, Feldman, and Delius just to mention a few.
For Alkan, I definitely like some pieces but do think it's sometimes just virtuosity for it's own sake. His op. 63, the Esqusses, are quite good though.
@@eels31 the difference is that, from those you mentioned, Delius was born almost 50 years after Alkan
Alkan is next to the mighty Medtner the best codas writer!
Those pleading, descending arpeggios at 0:51 gives so much emotional depth to this piece.
“Pleading” is such a perfect word for those arpeggios - have been trying and failing to describe how that section feels for years, and you landed on it perfectly
Its the most basic march of chord with 7th its been used all over classical music for ever, i has just haded a bunch of vistuosity but nothing very subtile theses march have been so much more well written by even baroque composers
I love a listener with a keen sense of humor
sounds like a life crisis
good expression
Nope, this moment is monumental, exstatic, majestic af, with adventurous harmonies and textures!
I had the strangest feeling listening to a part of the "Overture" for the first time where it felt like I had heard it before ... almost in another life. I still get a thrill when that passages comes up, and I still have the same feelings. Weird.
I have that for no 12 and 3 I get your meaning , they seem familiar in a real weird way
You did. It was by Wagner.
The words "Alkan" and "best" are wonderfully associated with each other!
You're so positive, unlike the other guy!
My pinkies hurt just looking at this
The section with the circle of fifths is much more epic in Maltempos live recording!
so freaking true
It's impressively virtuosic, and well-performed. But I rarely find any Alkan that moves me. I know there are many that idolise him, and I would love to 'get it' - and get switched on to him, but I remain just impressed at the technique more than the music.
It kinds sounds like a harder version of Wanderer Fantasy
Maybe we should all start practicing Alkan because after that almost everything else is easy.
*Laughs in Sorabji*
@@toothlesstoe narcissist plays sorabji to feel better about himself
@@Whatismusic123 I do feel better knowing I can play what most pianists can't
@@toothlesstoe most pianists choose not to waste their time playing garbage. Sorabji is "rarely played" not because he's exceptionally difficult, but because noone wants to play his noise.
@@Whatismusic123 What evidence do you have for that assertion?
0:44 Not how broken octaves should sound. I want to hear the top and bottom notes separately.
th-cam.com/video/0aUOAzvZTEM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=3ntVjksS3g5VB2k7 13:20
then listen
@@hisky.Exactly.
You're right. It's not very clear.
mamybe because this piece is such a beast to pull off he got very tired at the end and didnt want to play it as broken octaves.
Astounding! Love the drama & energy. Also love the voicing on this piano! And brilliant playing!! ♥️👏
I started ww3 of the classical piano community by saying alkan should be on the same level as chopin and liszt and after listening to alot of his music I take back what I said
Possibly because his music is normally technically way harder than Chopin or Liszt
But in his time he is known to be in the same league as Chopin and Liszt, but slowly died out
Cause his music is mid
@@WEEBLLOM Excuse me? Alkan might be an ultimate virtuoso but he has really good pieces as well, for example his symphony/concerto for solo piano, the sonatine op. 61 and much more
If you think his music is ONLY virtuoso though you might very well be mistaken, one good example is his barcarolles, truly musical.
Probably because the flashy bits tend to be remembered, and Alkans flashy bits are generally pretty uninteresting from most musical perspectives. Most things you see of clipped stuff of Alkan is a bunch of big chords go BRRRR without much harmonic or rythmic interest. Chopin succeeds in a much more interesting way weaving insane amounts of musical thought even in the most technically demanding pieces. Overall the kind of Alkan showed here isn't that special, it isn't hard to write something that sounds like that, writing something that sounds like a purebred Chopin climax is hard.
That isn't to say Alkan hasn't written very intricate music, this isn't that though and the things that sound hard and cool tend to get the spotlight.
@@viggojonsell9754 I guess I can definitely agree with that, although there is some bits in the symphony or concerto that is rememberable and hard… but Liszt’s virtuoso is simply on another level.
As an Alkan super fan, I have never believed this to be one of his strong works (I've also never fully come around to the Grande Sonate). The concerto for solo piano and even the symphony for solo piano are much more profound virtuoso works, ESPECIALLY the concerto. Also, Trois Grandes Etudes Op. 76 are magnificent, and utterly important to the history of one-handed piano music (ESPECIALLY right hand only repertoire).
But for Alkan haters, there are plenty of not-crazy-hard works that should be a part of the standard repertoire, like the Chant in E Major Op. 38 Book 1 No. 1 (and a few other Chants... they're modeled off of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words), Nocturne in B Major Op. 22, Petit Conte, and various Preludes and Esquisses. Also, I recommend the Op. 35 Major Key etudes (some more than others, but it is a solid set overall).
For virtuoso works, try the Grand Duo Concertant Op. 21 and Sonate de Concert Op. 47. You will quickly hear that he also was quite good at composing for strings when he was inspired.
Alkan is hit or miss, and sadly, it seems after all these years people seem to focus on the supervirtuosity of some of his works, often the misses, which causes people to only think he composed second-rate works, and never try digging deeper to see if there's anything better.
0:51 the climax
This is why i like a Alkan piece, Honestly
Alkan always sounds symphonic
a miscellaneous mixture of Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 8 and several others
Reminds me of the first movement of Beethoven's 7th
why did i read this as ' best murder of my life '
Me, randomly finding this video in my recommended feed: “oh this sounds nice.”
Me, reading the comments: “what the fu-“
@@amadeus5889 thats big irony
My previous comment started ww3 of classical enthusiasts
Average Argument About Alkan, Arousing Anger And Aggravation, Always Antagonising Adversairies And Annoying All Around
Lol
But then it was fun arguing with people that actually holds knowledge ^_^
I think knowing that this was Alkan overture by literally have an imaginary audio in my head play when I saw the score probably means I know this piece a little bit too well 😅
Why do so many people dislike this in the comment section? I think the overture etude is really incredible
No
Did I hear a reference to Beethoven's 7th Symphony 1st movement at the 0:30 mark?
The words "Alkan" and "best" should not be associated with each other.
True since he too often excels
"bangs piano loudly"
Sounds like he's taking the mickey out of himself
idk it sound like a guy who is proud of his farts
Be honest. That person is you, isn't it.
@@iianneill6013 i admit my farts are better
@@iianneill6013😂
People saying this is musical forgot that this is an ETUDE
Remembered read somewhere that Chopin has asked Alkan help finish some of his works
I believe he asked him to finish a book on the basics of piano technique. I doubt he would have asked him to help on his pieces
С возрастом это надоедает, приходится слушать более сложную музыку
потом надоедает сложная и музыка и круг замыкается...
@@luden6794 Ну это чаще происходит в уставшем состоянии, простая музыка нравится в период восстановления, потом уже сложная. Музыка Чайковского, Вагнера дольше завлекает
Слушаю сонаты Гайдна и не парюсь
0:30 That part is just amazing, that G Major section surprised me a bit
Yeah, the same
An alkan piece that i could actually play? Nice
But still I won’t
이거 마지막에 오른손 아르페지오 나오는 부분 넘좋음
Sounds like he just heard a performance of Die Walküre
Not my favourite minute but still very nice
Its Beethoven 7 alkanified
petition for Alkan Vs Liszt
You need to get out more - but then so did Alkan
Brahmsian, I’d say.
0:51 epic
pop music of it's time. great pop music, mind. don't be droll about this stuff. it's supposed to be fun.
Very demanding music
This sounds like Czerny trying to write an actual piece that isn’t just an etude, which he never managed to do.
Your criticism has no point. He did write other pieces but wanted to develop his pedagogy through writing etudes
Czerny wrote some nice music
Underrated composer 👍🏿👍🏿
This isn’t even the best minute I’ve had today
balls
I agree
@@jameshall9353 thank you for agreeing
Facts
Your performance??
jack gibbons (written in description)
noice
Nice.
Bombastic garbage. Alkan was famous for that.
hail to Inessa Davydova
It was HELL
I know lots of people love Alkan, but I just hear noise. And before anyone says I'm uncultured or deaf or whatever, I have a master's degree in piano performance and am fully versed on the subject. I just don't like Alkan.
Well, that’s just like, your opinion dude
It's just like, the simplest chord progression you could imagine with minimal variation, but make it difficult to play
@@crystal4o681 I absolutely hate to play his music; it's so musically unsatisfying and technically ridiculous.
@@peter5.056 Ah but then, like his music or not I’d imagine no one, like no one with normal skills or whatever would like playing his music. Whatever piece it is, they are too challenging for our own good xD
Harmonically uncreative. But he makes up with speed and loudness. For what its worth.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
It's like a big finale 😂
What's the name of the full piece?
"overture" from the 12 minor etudes.
@pianotom1693 Larry
Not to be a ball buster
Its 1 and a half minutes
Well I'd like to go listen to Appassionato rather than a follower's piece😂
Bravo Jack - but Ronald Smith every time
По этому произведению абсолютно понятно почему данный композитор не остался в памяти подобно великим Листу и Шопену
0:51 beautiful
What piece is this?
Good section, but moroshitas recording is over a thousand times better than this one.
Based opinion
@@snorefest1621Jack Gibbons is a crazy goat but certainly not perfect at every Alkan piece, though I'd rather be him and be able to play all of Alkan than be me and know only one Alkan piece 😂
@@none5020 I mean I can sightread all Alkan pieces technically 🤷 (if I get a few takes and splices). There's just not enough demand for his music rn, so I shall focus on his obscure repotoire on my Instagram page
Put some Kapustin bro. Lets speak some actual language because the music talks about our time
melonica you canceled my reply
i don't delete any reply, this my philosophy(maybe youtube bot automatically deleted your comment)
😂
A minute and a half of my life wasted
why are pianist so fond of making fermatas on accented chords? it stops the flow and destroys the rythm. really would like to hear someone playing this without all the stops...
no actual music here. very derivative bombast. who would waste their time learning this crap?
This composition is trite.
Crap
banger