Hamelin Plays Alkan: Grande sonate 'Les quatre âges' - 30 ans

[@MajesticFerret]

Men and women of culture, welcome back (I know this isn't your first time watching this)!

[@justsomerandomasshole3699]

Isn't the last aswell

[@dayellowguy]

If it wasn't for Marc-Andre Hamelin, names like Alkan, Godowsky, and Medtner would mean nothing to me. Thank you Mr. Hamelin for bringing these brilliant composers back from obscurity and doing them justice with your interpretations.

[@leonardmartin6048]

@@fardpig4269 he said that there has to be a certain degree of risk in live performances in an interview recently. I really like maltempo, but hamelin is at least one level above.

[@kenimprov]

If Hamelin had instead preference to standard repertoire and played pieces already recorded a hundred times over, it would have been a tragic loss of human creativity.

[@op-th1yx]

There are much better medtner interpreters, but speaking about Alkan and godowsky. Yeah…. Really had a big impact on their popularity

[@rosiefay7283]

I too think that Alkan's music is not appreciated enough. But I think credit is due to a few other pianists who have sought to make his music better known, before Hamelin, such as Raymond Lewenthal and Ronald Smith.

[@armenghazarian3515]

@@rosiefay7283 also Egon Petri. I love the way he plays Alkans symphony for solo piano. Really wish more performers played with such attention to the melodic lines.

[@itsshrimp91]

6:00 love the perfect sense of fire and wrath in this passage mixed with Hamelin's impeccable clarity!

[@MGJS71]

Too fast. If he had played it at the correct (slower) tempo, there would have been fewer wrong notes!

[@robwalsh3841]

Astonishing. I seriously doubt any pianist living or dead could perform to a higher standard. Power, ridiculous accuracy at stupendous speed, wonderful depth of colour, incomprehensible genius.

[@p-y8210]

Liszt and alkan

[@vnwa7390]

Based on reviews - These surely could: Cziffra, Bolet, Thalberg, Brahms, Liszt, Tausig, Pace, Pollini, Rzewski (in his younger years), Godowsky, Szymanowski, Chopin, and of course Alkan himself (and probably a few others).

[@MegaPianogenius]

paeffill Hamelin is still far better than all those pianists mentioned for pure repertoire and technique

[@vnwa7390]

Of course it’s edited, as a great number of studio recordings are. Moronic comment. I saw him make a few mishaps live performing Brahms’ 2nd Concerto from memory, which should never be a standard as Maestro Chopin and Mozart alluded to. Anyhow, Hamelin surely outclasses any of those pianists, yes; at least in technique. Also, there’s no conclusive evidence that Alkan didn’t perform it; there are “records,” but that debate is stupid so I won’t go into it because it has no merit. If you make more comments recharging it I won’t reply on that topic

[@Varooooooom]

Batzorig Vaanchig - Cziffra, while his playing would be fantastic on the chord/dynamic heavy parts of this piece, would definitely butcher the fuck out of the fugue section. Inversely, I somehow doubt Godowsky would achieve the same fierceness that the dynamic heavy parts would require, but listening to him play the fugue would be outstanding. And I’m sorry, but Chopin would NEVER be able to play something like this - not as well as Hamelin could, at least.

[@uncd2000]

Aikan (1813-1888) is so sadly underappreciated. He often played Bach on the pedal-piano (pedalier). That would have been something to hear!

[@dwacheopus]

Alkan* not Aikan

[@mtr369]

When he was working on his DM at Temple University, I was fortunate to be his piano tuner in residence. I saw perform a number of times, over the years, and not only appreciate his musical genuis, but humility...

[@recursive_eternity]

Alkan, basically a monster at technique and a god among pianists, yet very unappreciated.And his reclusive behaviour is one of the reasons for that, plus the fact that most of his compositions are very technically advanced.

[@punkpoetry]

Also cause this flavorless collection of notes appeals mostly to the kind of people who are impressed by bombast, technique for technique’s sake and by the sheer quantity of notes on display more than they are by a Chopin melody. I bet there’s a strong overlap between Alkan fans and devotees of prog rock. Same shit.

[@vanguard4065]

there is more than enough room in music for tiresome chopin melodies and miraculous alkan techniques

[@Cryseris]

That’s because throuout his lifetime he was overshadowed by Liszt, even though he was probably better.

[@tashaschneider1419]

@@punkpoetry Because people are intimidated by this beautiful, technically dazzling music and would rather hear garbage like Tori Amos with her simplistic "teenage piano recital" approach to piano playing!

[@2011persol]

@@tashaschneider1419 couldnt ve said it better myself, great comment dude!

[@SimonPiano42]

just drove me to tears after i hadn't heard it for a while. the sheer power and desperate struggle of this Faust pushes you to the limit. I'm definitely going to learn this before I'm 30 (quote me on that).

[@Jvizzlezz]

I don't know how old you are now, but I hope for your sake you've started... if you feel the intense desire to learn this before you're 30, you're going to need all of the practice you can get.

[@SimonPiano42]

​@@Jvizzlezz hah, actually i'll be 30 very soon and it's impossible now to learn it in time. So, for reference, you can quote me on not meeting this goal. But I did consider learning this in time when there still was time, and it just didn't make sense at the time. 30 is just a number. I may still learn this in the next few years and it may be every bit as relevant. By the way, i learned the abridged version of the Concerto for Solo Piano instead of this, a few months ago, so i'm not afraid of this score either. It's just a question of time.

[@JeromeMainguet]

Merci Marc André Hamelin pour cette superbe interprétaion de cette oeuvre sublime de Charles Valentin Alkan !

[@KPO6859]

Mr. Hamelin is my absolute favorite pianist. His passion and his technique are .. well, there are no superlatives that can do his abilities justice. I had not heard this composer before. Wow. Hamelin has a prodigious repertoire. Wow!

[@vnwa7390]

As Alistair Hinton would say, trying to compare Lisitsa to Pollini, Argerich, Ogdon, Cziffra, Michelangeli, Arrau, Bolet, Powell, and most DEFINITELY Hamelin is absurd.

[@pleasecontactme4274]

Florian feilmar, yui morishita and frace clidat are better probably

[@f.p.2010]

Pro QBr its not all about technique...

[@xyzpno6847]

@@vnwa7390 What's wrong with Lisitsa though?

[@maxb4074]

His ability is unmatched. Incredible.

[@vnwa7390]

Possibly matched by Pollini, Powell, or Pace in technique nowadays, as well as reviews of Thalberg, Liszt, Tausig, Brahms, the other giants, and Alkan himself.

[@mtr369]

@@vnwa7390 Don't forget this cycle includes a fugue. Alkan, Chopin and Liszt studied counterpoint, under Reicha, at the Paris Conservatory.

[@melonica90]

All parts all insane. Among them, Fuga and the followed part(after 8:40) always frustrates me. That made me think "I can never conquer even though I practice 20 years only concentrate on this piece."

[@p-y8210]

3:09 you feel the agony and the despair of hell. And then the joy of still having the choice of changing your fate

[@PieInTheSky9]

Liszt was indeed very humble towards Alkan, and said that Alkans technique was much better than his own.

[@GeorgeClarendon]

Echoherb it it said Alkan was one of the few people Liszt would feel,nervous about hearing him play.

[@lisztomani4c]

Echoherb Liszt wasn't towards alkan and he said that his technique was better,not much better.Alkan probably had a better technique but Liszt had harder pieces.

[@phillach5181]

its great to see someone as talented as Lizst admit someone was better than him on the piano

[@calebhu6383]

Lisztomaniac Have you heard Alkan's concerto? His minor etudes alone are harder than all 12 of Liszt's etudes.

[@maulcs]

Liszt had harder pieces my ass.

[@christophera1520]

Imagine having such a bloody command of the piano. I don't know how many times I have listened to this piece, but it impresses me each time.

[@cognacremy387]

I've seen Alkan played live, nothing like it in this world. It's simply amazing.

[@cognacremy387]

Hence the word "played".

[@thebatman6991]

Are you a fucking asshole??He is dead 150 years ago

[@viggos.n.5864]

That finale... I'm in love!

[@jakehouston3377]

section at 4:35 is simply incredible. A unique technique

[@Whaijorhujishkomunyk]

Indeed

[@sirrskarr18]

And this is only ONE MOVEMENT of a sonata!!

[@peterbrenton410]

At 7.30 I like how he seems to wipe a single drop of sweat from his brow after playing what would put most other players into intensive care. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the piano had to be put down after that

[@Garnog404]

OK, here's my comment; this is just ridiculously difficult, the pianistic equivalent of a triathlon. The strength and endurance necessary combined with the need for flexibility and nuance makes this fellow a musical Lance Armstrong (without the doping). I am far beyond astounded. Helps one realize why Liszt thought the composer/pianist Alkan was a superior player to himself, and I'm quite certain Mr. Hamelin belongs in such vaunted company.

[@u.v.s.5583]

You are wrong about the triathlon for triathlon is easy compared to this. Hundreds of thousands of amateurs can do triathlon. Also wrong about Armstrong since this involves so much more than power and endurance and second to none will to win.

[@fotifilosmou1]

incorrect

[@jackmarentette1302]

Phoebus Be quiet.

[@jackmarentette1302]

U.V. S. Be quiet.

[@vnwa7390]

First, Alan Walker’s biography provides that Alkan was embarrassed by Liszt in earlier years, but later on Liszt did indeed make that comment.

[@tomyoarrete3060]

beautiful, best pianist ever

[@banana_GGG]

この曲をここまで完璧に弾けるのはアムランだけだと思う

[@TheJbchar]

Thank you, Lincoln and Child. Diogenes brought me here.

[@thomasholmes3825]

Same here, never would have seen this video if not for the book.

[@TrainSuisseQ]

Preston and Child.

[@chaoscast]

yeah, after reading the book, I started listening to every Alkan-piece I got. Its wonderful!

[@julianhuffman7863]

which book? cause its also in The forgetten room by Lincoln Child

[@calebonstead7143]

YES! I wouldn't be here without Diogenes.

[@yagiz885]

that ending always gets me ngl

[@DellDreamer]

What a performance!

[@CAaronD.]

Is it only me who thinks that 8:03 - 8:40 is the the hardest part of the piece? I mean ... It drives you mad trying to practice that part. It's so easy to get it wrong and make it sound like randomly pressing notes here and there with ocassional jumps for good measure.

[@brianandrewleahy1]

CAaronD just reading through that fugue is an unbelievable achievement. it's migraine-enducing. make sure you have the aspirin handy. it might as well be in hieroglyphics. :)

[@asdfasddfff]

CAaronD that fuga part is so complicated

[@jakehouston3377]

What about the 4:40 area?

[@calebhu6383]

@@jakehouston3377 Not too difficult with lots of practice. The Fugue however, is consistently terrible to practice.

[@romainmialon9251]

8 voices ! The biggest and hardest fugue ever written for solo piano...

[@robbyelz4404]

Ich habe selten so ein fantastisches Spiel gehört. Nicht von dieser Welt

[@sqrti8825]

Marc-Andre Hamelin's tempi for easier works were sometimes too fast. Formidable compositions like this slow him down perfectly! To be fair, he's been improving on musicality in his more recent recordings, debussy's Images, Feinberg's sonatas, etc.

Nothing else to say than: Extraordinary!!

[@georem]

The title of this piece is actually the time you need to learn that piece using 100% of your life time

[@julianhuffman7863]

came here cause I am reading the forgetting room by Lincoln Child. what a piece

[@notsure9137]

Came here for the same reason.

[@calebonstead7143]

I actually came here because of reading "Book of the Dead" by Douglas Preston AND Lincoln Child :) It is quite the piece. I listen to this and the Bartok Sonata when reading Pendergast novels. Those novels are modern classics.

[@SimonPiano42]

@@calebonstead7143 This Alkan piece is featured in both of these books? That's cool. What's written about it there?

[@이름없음-m5k3x]

이게ㅜ가능한사람이있다니....

[@레오폴드쇼팽]

내 위에 있던 댓글 어디갔지

[@JunsangYu-r1i]

어떤사람이 시크하게 "뭐누" 하셨음

[@chezbe]

...

[@피아노-n3u]

이거 치는사람 은근히 많음

[@피아노-n3u]

@Cziffra György ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[@claudesiari8188]

Alkan encore peu connu et pourtant !

[@rossitermusic6962]

Wow I bet this guy can even play “Für Elise”

[@EC-yw1iv]

Nah I’m not so sure. I’d have to see him prove it

[@scriabinismydog2439]

I fear no man. But that piece... It scares me

[@zacsummers8755]

I bet he’s not as good as those guys who can play the bumble bee song

[@rossitermusic6962]

If we can get some fireworks together, a couple of half naked dancers and him playing Für Elise I think we have the next America’s Got Talent winner

[@morganmartinez8420]

@A SEVENTH? NO? you're everywhere as well, lmao

[@Paganini-Liszt]

He played my favorite part. From 2:35 to 4:25

[@miguelmendizabalcontreras9771]

No hay palabras para describir cuanto amo este movimiento cuanto amo a Alkan.

[@ethanhu4960]

Even godlike pianist like Hamelin made mistake in the climax, not hard to see how devilish this piece is

[@Medtszkowski]

8:40 is easily one of if not the most technically terrifying passages of all time

[@Paganini-Liszt]

3:06 to 4:25 Is the best part for me.

[@greggi331]

Not at all lol

[@Paganini-Liszt]

@@greggi331 Agreed. I played the piece before (This particular one only and the 20 ans one)

[@greggi331]

@@Paganini-Liszt agreed about what? 🤔

[@Paganini-Liszt]

@@greggi331 Idk what you meant about "not at all" though. If that "not at all" meant about disagreeing with him, then I agree with you.

[@mwsc04]

I didn't particular care for this movement (or the sonata) until I heard Marc-Andre Hamelin play it. Tempo is so important in Alkan, and too slow, or, worse yet, slowing down in the hard parts (like on virtually all other recordings of this), ruins the whole thing IMHO. In his hands, the whole thing makes sense.

[@lxr0913]

4:40 this section e.g., I don't think anybody except for Hamelin can manage to not slow down....

[@woutersmitspianist]

@@lxr0913 Severin von Eckardstein

[@Santosificationable]

I really wish Cziffra recorded this. Or Horowitz.

[@CarmenReyes-em9np]

Exelente. 🎹 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻🥇🎶🎶🎶🎶🇮🇷

[@BlueSteve]

Liszt had been real quiet since this dropped...

[@MGJS71]

Not really ... his B minor Sonata is an obvious response to this movement.

[@BlueSteve]

​@@MGJS71 true dat

[@Kabasya94]

Wow Diogenes Pendergast was right... It is fantastic!

[@atee12321]

Really, only 586 views and no comments? Sometimes I hate this world..

[@musiclover148]

As of now, 81,678 views, 102 comments. Can you love the world again, sweetheart? Six years on, I hope this finds you living lighter and freer. :)

[@p-y8210]

84k now

[@CziffraTheThird]

Just shy of 100,000 now...!!

[@stelasiaurelvesa7150]

Foarte frumos!!!

[@melonica90]

I prefer Hyperion CD recording rather recital. CD has less mistakes and indicates best speed(not too fast and too slow) recital still amazing though.

[@붕어빵-c5w]

그러나, 유튜브에 있던 아믈랭의 2악장 음반 연주가 포함되있던 영상이 언제였는지는 모르겠지만, 사라졌네요.

[@melonica90]

@@붕어빵-c5w 그렇죠. 근데 제가 느끼건데 아믈랭의 모든 알캉 곡 실황연주중 30대 실황엉상이 비판댓글이 가장 많네요. 다른 실황연주 영상들이랑은 대조적으로요. 저도 이들과 100% 동감입니다. 대다수 아믈랭 실황연주는 깔끔하고 초인간적인 보여줍니다만, 이 곡에서만큼은 좀 무리한것 같습니다. 몇몇 부분에서는 일관성없이 무리하게 빨리 연주하려다가 미스가 남발하고 또한 내성부가 뚜렷하게 들려야하는 부분에서 내성부를 빠뜨리기도 하고요. 아믈랭의 모든 실황 중 유일하게 '싫어하는'(전 30대는 음반만 듣습니다.) 연주입니다. 한편으로는 30대의 위엄과 해석 방향을 생각해보게 되는 대목이죠.

[@NwcistMendes]

@@melonica90 제가 지금 30대 표현에 어려움을 겪고 있는 이유....음반 연주가 사라져버렸습니다ㅎㅎ

[@melonica90]

@@NwcistMendes 사실 예~~전에 받아놓은 불법다운이긴하지만...제게 음반연주가 있습니다. 멘데스님의 경우 아무나 하지 않는 30대 NWC를 하시니까 좀 돕고 싶네요. 드릴까요?

[@NwcistMendes]

@@melonica90 헷 저야 너무 고맙죵 ㅎㅎ [e-mail] 으로 좀 부탁드릴게요 ㅎㅎ 저 오늘이나 내일 안에 만들어버리게요 ㅎㅎ

[@thecozytrader00]

1:50 look at this resolution, damn

[@一泰-s8h]

力強さと滑らかさがいいでちゅ

[@Emperor-dz5uw]

素晴らしい表現をされますね！

[@leondupasind9280]

Ahhhh Alkan.................when will his re-appraisal begin...?

[@alesash49]

А где же знаменитости вроде Горовица, Рихтера, Гилильса,Оборина, Нейхгауса . Они о нём не слышали или техники не хватало

[@javascriptkiddie2718]

3:26 sounds a lot like the middle section of Erlkonig

[@alejosierra3471]

5:55 - 6:26 HE'S ELECTRIFIED

[@vcsgoru4353]

He missed so many hidden melodic notes in left hand

[@tangistanguy]

thank you professor !!!!

[@RicChess]

He did miss alot of notes but it is stil one of the best performences out there. LoL

[@p-y8210]

@@RicChess nah his hyeperion records recording is superior

[@ndsudld4834]

천하의 아믈랭도 중반부에서 미스터치가 나다니...ㄷㄷ

[@최광원-b8q]

음원은 미스터치 없이 깔끔하게 감상 가능

[@vanguard4065]

Guitar virtuoso Marshall Harrison brought me here!

[@idrisalmamri6612]

Did he link this piece to his followers? Or did he talked about it? Just curious...

[@u.v.s.5583]

@@idrisalmamri6612 Knowing Marshall he must have performed this on the guitar, all the time chatting about swybrid

[@doompiano1604]

알캉 담당일찐 아믈랭 아믈캉

[@19thCenturyGuy]

아몰랑

[@vincentws03]

People are left speechless that's why ;D

[@czeynerpianistproducercomp7155]

Czerny Plays Alkan 😎

[@nimrodshefer3649]

Are you sure?

[@Jamric-gr8gr]

I think Czernys techniqur is better than Hamelins

[@MegaPianogenius]

he is mine i have heard volodos hough argerich ashkenazy horowitz etc but i think he beats them for pure technique, i don't think they play this music?

[@summushieremiasclarkson4700]

I would say only Volodos and Ashkenazy hold a candle to him in terms of technique.

[@vnwa7390]

Maltempo can’t hold a candle to Hamelin yet at least; Libetta can; Cziffra, Michelangeli, Bolet, Argerich, Pollini, Powell, and Pace may in some repertoire though.

[@Santosificationable]

I don't believe there are much who could equal Hamelin in "pure technique" i.e. cleanliness in hard passages, though I think of Michelangeli, Godowsky, maybe Rachmaninoff. Tatum had an idiosyncratic technic as well and I believe no one could match his left hand leaps and two/three fingered runs. And of course, extremepianochannel, Alexei Grynyuk, and Nikolai Leschenko are record breakers.

[@Moo-yy9oy]

I swear I can see the piano rattling!

[@Whaijorhujishkomunyk]

4:48 oh

[@Medtszkowski]

oh

[@Medtszkowski]

8:40

[@Whaijorhujishkomunyk]

​@@Medtszkowskioh

[@franz_liszt401]

3도를 좀만 더 넣으면 완벽한 곡일듯

[@hyj7240]

그럼 손이 몇개 더 있어야 될 듯....

[@죠랄말]

알캉 하늘나라 갔다고 막말하네

[@bropy3470]

도랐나

[@dwacheopus]

He really should've recorded le preux. He plays octaves so easy

[@Medtszkowski]

Le preux sucks

[@dwacheopus]

@@Medtszkowski okay(

[@therealransu]

@@Medtszkowskithe campanella of alkan lmao

[@jannis11]

noice

[@dariocugia1938]

Wasn't Thalberg Liszt''s Piano rival? In any case, the greatest pianist of that period it is said to be Schumann, hadn't he hurt his hands.

[@Santosificationable]

Thalberg was, the problem is Alkan wasn't a famous performing virtuoso like the two of them were. If Alkan decided to challenge Liszt the way Thalberg did, Liszt would be in trouble.

[@prammar1951]

@@Santosificationable Well Alkan played with Liszt, and went home crying... The only pianist to hold his own ground against liszt was Thalberg.

[@pianobirb5644]

@@prammar1951 what weed did you smoke to hear that LMAO, that's such a baby response

[@me9674]

Alkan is a God, what a great man... He should be looked at more serious and performed, the ultimate Liszt killer...

[@babygirl4169]

Not a Liszt killer

[@commentingchannel9776]

Liszt was a great innovator in his later years, in a much more influential way than Alkan ever was

[@Whatismusic123]

Killing liszt doesn't make you god, it makes you a murderer, as liszt is mediocre at best, incompetent at worst.

[@Medtszkowski]

@@Whatismusic123Top ten most delusional and retarded comments.

[@therealransu]

@@Whatismusic123 Do you even hear the words coming out of your mouth 😂

[@thecozytrader00]

1:14 1:42 1:50 2:43 3:08 3:16 3:46 4:27 4:45 4:58 5:16 6:18 6:55 7:18 7:33 8:45 9:07 9:44 10:27

[@heinzgilbert]

Did Liszt really think that way to Alkan?

[@jakehouston3377]

Yes

[@babygirl4169]

10:26

[@SamanthaSeifert]

4:40

[@duck_fx]

hardest than any Liszt etude

[@rosiefay7283]

Pity the video and audio are so badly out of sync.

[@FredHMusic-gr7nu]

He plays this well. Though I prefer a more accurate performance that can be downloaded at this site: musescore.com/classicman/scores/384676#comment-445611

[@dtao12]

Sure the musescore is accurate, but that's just a machine playing the notes, not really a human performance! And the sound of the piano is very strange on that one, doesn't sound like a piano at all. I did appreciate, though, that on that musescore page he referred to another KZbin recording of the entire Grande Sonata in recital which, though not as fast or virtuosic as Hamelin's, is enjoyable in its own way.

[@MrFartyman44]

4:58 totally unacceptable

[@chp763]

i agree

[@vnwa7390]

Not the best sequence of performance in that live rushed moment, but do you DARE say you yourself could do better in a live performance? If you truly can, then kudos. His Hyperion recording beats everybody on this earth in performance of this sonata.

[@MrFartyman44]

@@vnwa7390 Lol I wonder if you're still on youtube. I was trolling. No I cannot. I can play some Alkan preludes. The rest of his pieces I mess around with horribly. It was a troll comment :)

[@brianbernstein3826]

he needs to work on his technique, chord power and tremolo speed

[@Darth_Plagueis4791]

nice joke

[@jackmarentette1302]

nicktcher74 it’s not a joke.

[@p-y8210]

@@jackmarentette1302 it is tho

[@Manx123]

Plenty of mistakes here.

[@TheAydolov]

Herb Sewell While I don't exactly agree with you,...it's nice to see another hendrie fan that is listening to alkan

[@Manx123]

What's there to disagree with? There are mistakes here. Oh, and I'm a big fan of Hendrie, (or at least I used to be), and a massive fan of Alkan, listening to all his works, even the weaker ones, which there are quite a lot.

[@u.v.s.5583]

When you watch a great match of tennis, it is full of mistakes. This performance is still an epic win, probably among best ever!

[@twilbry7807]

4:57 noticably here (4:59)? I'm not trained traditionally, but I'm familiar to maltempo's performance. Maltempo did F# D E, but I can hear Hamelin played F# D F.

[@Manx123]

Very obviously a mistake even if you haven't listened to another performance, and read the score.

[@michaelherring1944]

Too fast and many mistakes!

[@SeigneurReefShark]

No.

[@GUILLOM]

No.

[@Cryseris]

No.

[@luis_lng]

no

[@bloba6969]

No.

[@justsomerandomasshole3699]

Bruh

[@teddythemlgcorgi7309]

6:05