Alkan - Le Preux, Op. 17 (Huang Yi-Chung)

Taken from a live recording of the international competition, 'VII Premio Alkan per il virtuosismo pianistico romantico', which translates to 'VII Alkan Prize for romantic piano virtuosity'.
Full competition here: kzbin.infoFHGrjmOKRxk
I know this isn't Pogorelich... But dang, just listen to this! The speed and accuracy (for the most part) is too impressive not to make a video on this. The technical ability of this man is beyond me. More need to know about him!

[@CamilleBraiki]

I listen to this almost everyday. It is so chivalrous, knightly and there’s so much energy and dynamics. It is a perfect interpretation in my opinion. Hats off Yi-Chung Huang, I really mean it.

[@TheExarion]

So much better than most MIDIs and somehow faster than some MIDIs too.

[@calebhu6383]

Would seem fake if it weren't played live in a competition

[@henrychang5361]

ikr!!

[@dwacheopus]

I cannot find the moment when it is played in the live competition. Help!

[@apocalypserx5082]

He played twice in two separate competitions, one right after playing Liszt Lucrezia Borgia S400

[@clarkebynum4623]

@@apocalypserx5082is the other competition uploaded anywhere? His Borgia was unreasonably good. Makes me doubt all the people claiming he sped up his Spanish fantasy

[@CamilleBraiki]

@@clarkebynum4623His spanish fantasy isn’t sped up

[@inuush]

I do love everyone's recording of Le Preux on youtube, but this one has to be the best one. Well, another le preux in my music playlist wouldn't hurt lmao

[@kitbuiz]

A composer who wrote for the synthesizer a century and a half before its appearance. It's incredible.

[@darnfirefingers]

So, I’ve resisted Alkan for a long time. The hyper virtuosity and questionable musicality is just not satisfying to me and I am not questioning anyone’s love of Alkan’s music. However, this pianist, showed us the way! How cool is that middle section with its tremolo-like swell that sounds like the notes are shining! Bravo to this performance!!!

[@teafruitbat]

Alkan also wrote many short pieces that are beautiful and/or witty, and that can be played by people who don't have super virtuoso technique.

[@1fattyfatman]

Legendary! Super glad somebody pulled this and kept it from it being lost when that vid goes down.

[@stevenru4516]

He played Le Preux AFTER playing Liszt's Lucrezia Borgia! Hats off

[@pianisthenics]

That guy technique and stamina is really unmatched.

[@Varooooooom]

The voicing, the staccatissimo, and the dynamics were all handled superbly - especially at such a fast tempo!

[@Dylonely42]

Thank you for sharing the interpretation with the score. Very useful.

[@Dylonely42]

Although I find the playing too fast…

[@erezsolomon3838]

@@Dylonely42 I agree

[@teodorb.p.composer]

Wow, this is the best interpretation ever!

[@apocalypserx5082]

Someone says he fake videos by speeding up. I would like see their reactions to this live recording.

[@sacrilegiousboi978]

Ok, I just watched the entire round from this competition and I’m honestly convinced this pianist isn’t human. Like he doesn’t show ANY signs of physical or mental strain or signs of tiring from anything he’s doing. It’s like his arms don’t produce any lactic acid whatsoever, he must have crazy genetics to have that kind of stamina and concentration. He must have the fitness of a top athlete.

[@unidentifieduser5346]

Agreed

[@unidentifieduser5346]

But he looks skinny tho despite being a superhuman

[@sacrilegiousboi978]

@@unidentifieduser5346 ikr that’s what makes it more amazing

[@therealransu]

@@unidentifieduser5346This is the best Le Preux. Thanks for suggesting lol

[@edgarreitz7067]

I dont find any pleasure in watching him play, it doesnt look healthy, unlike eg Morishita in comparision. But the recording is good!

[@Mathieu_Poirier_Piano]

For anyone curious to watch the live video version of this, follow the link provided in the video description and go to 2:45:00 (it's the last performance of the video).

[@4candles]

A superb virtuosic and technical feat. I imagine this piece has to be so difficult to make musically convincing in performance because of the demands.

[@central9823]

How preux he was to unleash this piece at this tempo at a competition

[@xcy8161]

Greatest living pianist

[@Fy37-Piano]

Id pay a shit ton of money to see him perform this, the Carmen fantasy and the Liszt s.253 in concert

[@ArtenixBlack]

Far from my favorite Alkan's piece, but... I am speechless. The amount of work to achieve this, I could not even imagine. I hope to hear more about this crazy Huang Yi-Chung soon, maybe on more lyrical pieces! (edit: I just saw him playing, he really is "le preux", and I am even more speechless)

[@Fy37-Piano]

His Spanish fantasy is stunning

[@purerhodium]

I refused to believe this was an actual human playing but the video put all doubts to rest. I'm genuinely speechless.

[@dwacheopus]

How did you know this is not fake?

[@dwacheopus]

@@froti743 where can i see a recording?

[@alexandernoethiger5338]

description@@dwacheopus

[@dwacheopus]

@@alexandernoethiger5338 i've seen. There us the video, but could you please give me a timecode where the pianist plays it?

[@alexandernoethiger5338]

@@dwacheopus2 hours, 44 mins, 53 seconds

[@Tizohip]

Fantastic 😮

[@ncghost]

Insanely amazing

Respect! 👏👏

[@supasayajinsongoku4464]

Sometimes we must forget the pianist, the virtuosity, and just admire how beautiful 3:10 is

[@SummerW2345]

Sheer talent of Huang Yi-Chung blew everyone out of the water straight up lol imagine playing this and still lost like wtf

[@KenWangpiano]

ikr! Either I'm a musical idiot or there are some jealous judges...

[@extremepianochannel]

@@KenWangpiano I assure you, the judges were jealous...... 😏

[@ArtenixBlack]

The problem, in my opinion, is that I think not a single judge already played Le Preux. Vincenzo Maltempo were one of them, but I do not know the others. Moreover, the competition is not judged on one piece, he is young, and the others contestants were sometimes really good too. But still, I guess Alkan would have been proud.

[@extremepianochannel]

@@ArtenixBlackYou should hear this kid play Liszt's Fantasy on themes from Donizetti's "Lucrezia Borgia". kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHmqo52jhLCFrs0 at 2:26:55 I'm sure the judges were either red or green with envy. This kid totally kicks ass. And he's only 20 or 21. Competitions these days are sh*t.

[@cziffrathegreat666]

@@extremepianochannel on the other hand his performance of it is technically good, but musically lacking. The dynamics are all there I know, but the fantasy is much more enjoyable at the right (slower) tempo than the speed he chooses here. That was the reason he lost, I guess. He might have won had he played Liszt's Spanish fantasy (which he uploaded on youtube too), as his interpretation of that is phenomenal.

[@Highinsight7]

insane... and... SO MUCH FUN!!!!

[@CatkhosruShapurrjiFurabji]

Respect!

[@calebhu6383]

2:15, 4:35

[@KenWangpiano]

Wow!!! This is mindblowing

[@Palermo.340]

Nice!

[@snorefest1621]

good job 黃顗中!

[@faktablad]

Alkan wrote "Follow the Yellow Brick Road"

[@adrianasd8]

Note to self: The piece is at 2:45:00 in the competition video

[@ashermay6513]

Why can't this be on Spotify?!

[@Xyriak]

great performance and interpretation of banal piece

[@jannis11]

noIce

[@timespaice]

Extremely virtuose and ballzy man, close to perfection tbh, it lacks of some harmony it sounds too much ''robotic'' (0:41), I can hear some mistakes( 0:31, 0:32, 0:59 ...) but It deserve a standing ovation hope he won that s by far the best le preux I ever heard.

[@ruby_R53]

yeah, what stops me from really liking his performance is his mistakes, i guess if he played a bit slower he wouldn't make so many

[@dzordzszs]

​@@ruby_R53 This is literary the cleanest Le Preux performance on yt

[@ruby_R53]

@@dzordzszs by a human, yeah

[@dzordzszs]

@@ruby_R53 I mean you can just listen to a midi file if note accuracy is what you want

[@ruby_R53]

@@dzordzszs yeah

[@hakore906]

during the live performance, what is the name of the piece played before Le Preux? Just curious because the original video had comments turned off and the chapters dont work

[@matthewalexander-thepianist]

Reminiscences de Lucrezia Borgia - Liszt kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZnuVgpyLiJmZesksi=s-hmyuLf7owEC7dI

[@pianista-mediocre]

Only the most difficult Liszt reminiscence and the composer's top 10 most difficult

[@hakore906]

@@pianista-mediocre I think difficulty varies from person to person. But this is indeed a very difficult piece by any means

[@Whatwasmusic]

This is a very good piece but I would recommend adding more IV-4 - DX1- and 45XVE23 chord progressions! Other than that, this piece sounds very good!

[@lajonnunez5578]

From a Superb Highschool pianist to an extremely unmatched Pianist, his tempi is wild especially the Piece before Le preux (Reminiscènces de Lucrezia Borgia S.400, literally what was supposed to be a 22 minute piece became a 17-18 minute piece) you should definetly post a score video of Lucrezia Borgia with his recording aswell as the other ones with Don Juan, Robert Le Diable and S.140 No.4b

[@callum8147]

His Lucrezia Borgia is definitely too fast for my taste, probably the reason he didn't win the competition despite it being an incredible technical showcase. His Spanish Fantasy and Don Juan are pretty much perfection though.

[@dd8436]

I like his performance of Spanish Fantasy and S.140 4b, but his Lucrezia Borgia was way too rushed with scant emotional lines.

[@CamilleBraiki]

I think his Lucrezia was just great

[@randomscorevideos]

I posted the score video of his Lucrezia Borgia, you can check it out !

[@crown_clash1626]

The techniques required in this piece is basically an ultra version of majeppa😅

[@johnpaulpiano4186]

4:37-4:47 How is that even humanly possible 😳 Well I've got a new goal now...

[@Classical22221]

What is the composer's tempo for this? I'm thinking about making a recording.

[@thenotsookayguy]

What does Carrement mean btw

[@lucasgoldy9351]

firmly, solidly

[@ErlingHaalxnd]

Sounds extremely similar to LaDivinaFanatic's interpretation, but what a beautiful interpretation of such a virtuosic work by Alkan.

[@simonmatusek7006]

yeah because it is him

[@OctoPlaysPiano]

Because it’s him!

[@ErlingHaalxnd]

@@simonmatusek7006 Shit lmao didn't know this was actually him, thanks for letting me know.

[@thenotsookayguy]

He copied him!!!

[@simonmatusek7006]

@@thenotsookayguy what? how would he copy himself lol

[@jjmcoupebmw6557]

Damn, I'm too old for this shit....

[@unidentifieduser5346]

Damn

[@ConcordMass]

4:47

[@brunopicaude3092]

This Alkan was a devil !😈

[@miguelangelromeu8178]

Jack Gibons is playing?

[@CamilleBraiki]

No, Yi-Chung Huang

[@sylim1932]

LaDivinaFanatic 이네..손가락 모양이 특이해서 알겠다. 고생했네...속도를 줄이고 완성도를 높이지..아쉽.

[@cziffrathegreat666]

your 2000th view ;)

[@Pogorelicc]

Thank you for the support!

[@sebastianperez3696]

The liszt's rivals be like:

[@karllieck9064]

Bugs Bunny music.

[@stacia6678]

Too fast

[@SummerW2345]

do you know why he did like this ? theres a very good reason for that

[@stacia6678]

@@SummerW2345 are you asking me? it might be because it’s for a competition and not a recital; i also usually play pieces faster in competitions

[@SummerW2345]

@@stacia6678 no wrong answer

[@thenotsookayguy]

​@@SummerW2345Then what is the answer?

[@SummerW2345]

@@thenotsookayguy considering his age and the fact that he is upcoming as a pianist, he rather wanted to show his technical capabilities to its full extent because thats whats the most difficult part. He played the pieces not only for the judges but also for the world to show that hes clearly most techinlly sound pianist out there by playing one of the most difficult piece so fast that nobody even can catch up. So from now on and more or so, hes gonna play the piano in less one sided way your comennt "too fast " is exaly what he wanted everyone to feel.

[@lepreux-ys7dp]

일본인 아마추어 느낌으로 치네 왜 우승 못 한지 알거같음

[@Pogorelicc]

You mean Mr. Barbaro?

[@lepreux-ys7dp]

right

[@sylim1932]

2222....

[@DemitNWC]

얘 자체가 아직 어려서 그런지 댓글들 보면 난곡을 가능한 가장 빠른 템포로 치는 것을 무슨 완벽주의라고 포장하고 다니던데 ㅋㅋㅋ '기교가 대단하다' 말곤 남는 게 하나도 없는 연주

[@Pianistic_Jade]

​@@DemitNWC근데 사실 기사 에튀드 자체가 대회에서 치긴 많이 별로인곡 이기도해요ㅋㅋ 다른 곡들에 비해 음악적으로 보여줄건 적은데 난이도는 또 더럽게 어렵고..

[@LuisKolodin]

Le Preux means KNIGHT. At this speed, it barely sounds like horse and knights. Just another mechanical Alkan performance... btw... it sounds like Nanasakov midi player....

[@Pogorelicc]

While it may be true, we still have to give props to the technical feat that he has achieved with this piece. But surely it sounds better than Nanasakov’s MIDI player right…

[@lucasgoldy9351]

nah it sounds great and it's a tremendous achievement

[@brozors]

It’s a tremendous achievement and this young pianist is a genius.

[@CamilleBraiki]

Definitely not

[@herobrine1847]

How about we say knight knight to your opinion and tuck it away? Forever?

[@zswu31416]

This is what happens when a pianist puts most their skill points into technique and very little into musicality. The playing here may be superhuman, but the musical details are highly lackluster. No I am not being jealous. I have played this piece before, and would not play it this fast even if I could do it as easily as him, because playing this fast necessarily means that musical details will go missing (and if you really try to bring them out, it sounds unnatural). 0:14 (and similar sections) can't even hear the melody in the LH 0:20 (and similar sections) there are dynamic changes that are ignored (unfortunately, literally no recording brings those out) 1:33 3:11 In the alternating notes sections, there is pretty much no effort to articulate the melody. For instance, perhaps at 1:33 one could bring out the RH, and then, the second time it appears at 1:46, bring out the LH. 1:54 3:32 Dynamic details mostly ignored 4:23 4:35 Rhythm of LH is a complete mess 4:44 The accents on the F, C, and F are missing

[@theoboueid6450]

sloppy :/

[@alextheodoridis4075]

No

[@Prometeur]

bro said sloppy as if there is a existing non-sloppy version up to tempo of le preux

[@dwacheopus]

​@@Prometeurmidi

[@alexandernoethiger5338]

bro shut up fr

[@erezsolomon3838]

@@Prometeur Seon Yong Hwang?