Silly Yet Serious (Alkan) | Beyond Black & White ~ Episode 2

[@adambowles3804]

That Alkan piece is like cartoon music written long before the invention of cartoons. Great choice! And not the easiest to play, I bet!

[@JJTownley_Classical-Composer]

Fascinating analysis of Alkan with a few quirky side-paths along the way. I'll always be grateful for the kind comments you left on my Piano Concerto No 2 several years ago. It was so noble of you to take time out to have a listen. Thanks much and I wish you continuing success in your fabulous career. JJ

[@APetula]

Gorgeous!!! And I remember growing up with cartoons animated with classical music. Such a treat

[@domenicco8176]

growl, scream, laugh, sing, roar, chirp ... All sounds of nature in this piece. Great choice. Merci Tiffany.

[@hskay6215]

I’m so happy you featured Alkan!

[@luffe2006]

Thank you for opening up about your studying and learning processes. I have followed your vlogs for some years now and it's really great to follow your journey. Really great and a great lesson to me. Keep going dear, it's so wonderful to hear and see you play. Best, Karsten

[@ya_ya_ya.]

Its sounds like such a fun and silly piece! I love its character 😆❤️✨️ Thank you for introducing this piece to me~

[@enriz12]

I absolutely enjoyed this video, thanks for sharing!!

[@OrangeSodaKing]

Fantastic! You are correct, this piece, and much of Alkan's output in general, is very humorous and quirky. You clearly understand and embrace this, and coupling that with your stellar technique, I cannot wait to hear the final product. And yes, Alkan has many fans! The myth that his music isn't that marketable has been completely shattered the past fifteen years or so.

[@HidekazuOki]

Thanks for sharing a wonderful video! You've managed to make me laugh out loud at random moments - I suspect you have an inner comedian in you!! It's also so great to learn about a composer I've never heard of before!

[@zure9295]

Omg I'm so glad you chose that piece ! I'm looking forward to you playing variations 14 and 15, they're my favorites :)

[@AugustRosemary]

Love the Rodin section, such a fascinating view on art! Can't wait for the album!

[@poo13828]

Bonsoir ma belle pianiste, répertoire français, excellent! It's certainly been years since I wrote to you, suggesting you how your piano playing, your sensitivity could flourish in the French repertoire. Bravo! I wish you rivers of success and happiness!

[@ms77619]

this is insane! Love this

[@Rechere]

Thank you for the acknowledgement of Alkan's humorous side! I agree with your assessment of this piece; Alkan had a shy yet playful personality and he wrote many other intentionally funny pieces as well such as "Marcia funebre sulla morte d'un Papagallo", a funeral march for a dead parrot, likely inspired by his equally eccentric (illegitimate) son Delaborde, who owned many parrots and a chimpanzee. Regarding nature, he does have some more serious pieces that depict howling wind, Le Vent op 15 no2, and the lapping of waves, "Song of the Madwoman on the Seashore" op 31 no 8, which both pre-echo the later French impressionist composers. Given your love of Schumann, I'd imagine you'd also like his Les Soupirs op 63 no 11, which Raymond Lewenthal describes: "These delicious breezes waft over the years that bridge the gap between Schumann and Debussy… There is subtle weirdness in the harmonic combinations. The day is not quite untroubled. Alkan's days never were…". I wish you luck with your album and am excited to listen when it comes out! Edit: (ah I see that someone commented nearly the same thing as well, apologies!)

[@denmarq]

The reflections on the philosophical ideas from works you encounter and their influence on your artistic choices as you explore pieces make this really intriguing to watch. I liked how what might have seemed out of place, with the piece's seemingly rough character, has instead become the very reason for your inclusion of it in the album, being inspired by your reading of Rodin's sensibilities on beauty and character from nature’s untamed essence. I saw that the title of this series is a clever play on Beyond Good and Evil, and I appreciate how you made your background in philosophy shine even more here as you explore and connect ideas to the music you perform. One favourite silly-sounding piece of mine is the polka from Shostakovich's The Golden Age ballet suite, with its wild, scattered, and cartoonish dissonances. However, I think its silliness is more akin to Offenbach’s Infernal Galop you showed here than to a more serious composition.

[@fortepiano_enthusiast-f8t]

Olivier Latry recorded Alkan on the pedal piano/piano pédalier in that collection at cité de la musique. Very difficoult to play even to organists, since our feet are used to touch-unsensitiv organ pedals

[@thalanoth]

the plinking like minky, etudes of poised noises, the gif that isn't peanut butter; reminisce, all, Alkan non forgotten

[@bobsteiner9209]

Loved the animal pictures. Chickens are as photogenic as cats. By the way, that music looks really hard. Congratulations on mastering it!

[@davidw6936]

I don’t hear Le Festin as silly, but deliciously macabre. All those weird dissonances, the unusual use of the very highest and lowest parts of the keyboard, the fantastically rapid passagework of XVII and XVIII, the bizarre overlapping octaves of XIX, the roar of variation XX.

[@johnybrug5406]

Playful piece!

[@mottokittokatto]

Thanks for introducing me to this etude! 😍 (btw, cute edit of that grey cat in the grass😾)

[@andreasbretzler5016]

On Spotify I listened to all the 16 pieces of your new album that thankfully you revealed on Instagram. And in the order that you indicated, played by your colleagues Olafsson, Arrau, Michelangeli, Argerich, Sokolov, Barenboim, Gieseking and Lang Lang. A real concept album is coming, and I'm very excited about the November release. As to the Alkan piece, I listened to it as a very interesting mood swing piece which breaks up the more serene tone of most of the other pieces. I did not hear the silliness aspect. But of course there is a receptive difference between a mere listener (me) and a very skillful player like you. Personally I think silliness is a sometimes envied privilege of children. In music only artists on top of their play can afford it - like for instance the Fabulous Four in their 1968 White Album with "Obladioblada". If you're still searching for an album title, my suggestion would be "Animals & Elements". It suits the titles of most of the pieces. And it sounds nice.

[@tombufford136]

Very nice Tiffany ! I have Alkan piano scores in a 'library of congress' piano book and very glad you play them for us. Interesting comments on Rodin. Great view of his famous 'The Thinker' and ties in with Descartes 'I think therefore I am' as a good antidote to 'I think I am clever'. His comment is naturally serious, the brain should be working to be alive. Though as you suggest from Rodin's observations all nature has some form of 'being' perhaps in religious thought a 'Blest' artifact becomes a part of the church. Much Love as always.

[@noidontubi1086]

golliwog’s cakewalk!! especially the quotes from tristan und isolde lol

[@YaniiiArianiii_PianoVocalMusic]

Sound is amazing!!!

[@sunnyng1645]

Alkan: Le festin d'Espe, you played it so easy and fun and you totally enjoyed it👍 Hope you bring those energy again to your concert in Michigan🫠

[@jariusmccarthy7185]

You’re such a lovely pianist. I love your technique and you inspire me a lot to keep practicing. I hope I will get to listen to you in person one day 🩵🩵🩵

[@ahseng9866]

Great analysis and reactions. 😄

[@jamescorey7467]

So glad I clicked play.

[@kawazu874]

The same spirit, spring wind as in "Le carnaval des animaux". Thanks for the discovery !

[@DennisDJSaklak]

Never heard of Alkan. Sounds playfull.. somewhere between Kabalevsky en prokofief playfull.😀 oh one other thing.. I hope you can come play a concert in Amsterdam again. What a venue that was and the luck that my daughter saw it early. We sat in the middle , 2nd row . Looking forward to do that again. Grts

[@inuush]

Alkan is my favourite composer, so seeing more talented pianists playing his pieces is something that always excites me. Op. 39 is his magnum opus in my opinion, the concerto is amazing, but my favourite is probably the first movement of the symphony, it's amazing.

[@polarisi2328]

(3:58)- I don't know where Tiffany found this ⭐cat⭐ for her videos, but it's as if it came straight from central casting. 😄 And the 🐓 must've auditioned for this role because it was so on-point with the footwork to superb choreography.😁 Talk about the beauty of characters in nature, and reading the humble life of the beast in its eyes and movements... as Rodin would say.👍

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

🤣 I'm so glad I took all those animal videos. I've collected hundreds for my Schumann album for 4 years and now I love that they fit with my new Nature album videos.

[@StevenDasinger]

In all seriousness, it takes a lot of talent and practice to play that piece!

[@teyoung7704]

3!!! and i feel my heartbeats are stronger in romanticism with her!🥰

[@williamveramendi7738]

I like it because I never heard anything like it ❤

[@mitchywestern5877]

Good morning!Tiffany! Let's do it again today!♪❤

[@vipassana72]

quite Chaplin like. those little ditties fit. a villain. a big mouser. a harrowing damsel held. 'let go of me you brute. let go', she cries. here comes Chaplin to kick his arse. I don't need for people to tell me what beauty is. especially the thieves of creative ideas. long live the memory of Camille Claudel. there is exposure to vulnerability in reading to an audience aloud. well done Tiffany. 🎊😎

[@Seekthetruth3000]

Could you please perform John Cage's 4'33"? Thanks.

[@SeaDrive300]

Wow, just a bit over two weeks from now; very exciting! See you in Grand Rapids, Tiffany! 🙂 BTW, in the word "tortoise", the second "o" is silent, so you pronounce it as "tortis", or "tôrdəs". Me, I say "TOR-tis", but maybe it's just my New York accent... 🙂

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

Ugh I think that was my first time reading the word "tortoise" out loud 🤦🏻‍♀️ Grew up with the story in Cantonese

[@mboucher05]

Not quite on the level of this but another humourous piece that comes to mind is the Andante mvt of the Op. 14 No. 2 G Major Sonata by Beethoven and it even ends with a Haydn inspired musical joke. I was at that musical instrument museum a few weeks ago (and the Brussels one too). So many cool instruments! Hope you get access to them.

[@themedza6970]

ALKAAAAAN YESSSS play his 3 morceaux de fantasie next! those are just beautiful

[@CandaceTravismusic]

When did you get that piano ?

[@davidstrumsky7012]

I was thinking of Charles Ives, perhaps a much more serious silliness but the juxtapositions, contradictions... Well, I came across this: "Beauty in music is too often confused with something that lets the ears lie back in an easy chair." - Charles Ives

[@haelscheirs_haven]

A staple of Alkan's more boisterous pieces is his Etude Op. 35 No. 5, "Allegro Barbaro", which is rather well "barbaric", though I find its B section rather interesting. Technically, the first six etudes other than the fourth therein are all rather playful, after which come some rather serious pieces and the deeply impassioned No. 11. Op. 17 "Le Preux", Op. 23 "Saltarelle", Op. 27 "Le chemin de fer", and Op. 34 "Scherzo Focoso" show other examples of his excess early in his career. I'd say the 1857 publications and on that followed his period of reclusion showed a marked darkening of character, say, Op. 39 Nos. 4 to 7, 9, and 11, though still with some light-hearted things. For his more sensitive side, I had mentioned before Op. 74 "Les Mois", the Op. 31 Preludes, his five "Recueil de chants", and the Op. 63 "Esquisses". Ah. Op. 63 No. 45 is pretty "silly", its depicting imps using tone clusters.

[@fanach]

when did u change ur steinway?

[@jamescorey7467]

Oh, I should mention, 06:20 "fearlessly accepting all exterior truth, read there, as in an open book" it might be my imagination, but I'm thinking "read" pronounced "red" (because past participle I think? I don't know exactly what I'm talking about, just reacting, in case there's anything you wish to draw from it)

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

That's what I thought initially, but I changed it after thinking the sentence structure was "his eyes...read there...all the inner truth"

[@ronl7131]

Fun vid!

[@matthodek]

That piece did confuse me a bit when I started looking up recordings of it, but I like your take on it. It does almost sound like it could be the soundtrack to a collection of clips of animals being silly. Nature is beautiful even when it is isn't kind or picturesque. I think there is much more going on in nature than we commonly realize, and that is my personal favorite part. I just realized I need to go re-watch the 'when to clap' video, otherwise I will probably miss my cue in two weeks... 😅

[@indye98]

Tiffany if you’re looking for another funny piece, try looking at “Humoresque” by Rodion Shchedrin! I think it has that humor that you’re looking for 😊

[@neilkilleen3911]

Alkan ! I did not expect that :-) Alkan's music is often totally hilariously bonkers and so must the performer be (as well as have a bullet proof memory and technique). I love a really 'edgy' clattering style with Alkan - leave nothing in the tank! I have a whole book of Alkan's music, I can probably play about 0.01% of it (badly) ....

[@MrBisounours17]

Hello Tiffany, Thanks for his very interesting video (and bautiful like others). Have you ever played a study of Amédée Méreaux? like "les deux meures" (op 63 n17) / "Arioso" (op 63 n 51) / "Scherzo alla napolitana" (op 63 n 45) or op 63 n°31 ?

[@alanclarkeau]

The thing about music like this is that it is exciting to watch and listen to it being played - but it is not something I would likely put on to "just listen to", or as background music..

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing! As a concertizing musician, I appreciate that :)

[@seheyt]

Same here. It tires me out, a bit like I don't really bear the entire Kunst der Fuge in one go, or all of the Weihnachts Oratorio for that matter.

[@user-xp3gh1cv1t]

It's a playful piece :)

[@jennav5648]

I love it. my son, who is autistic, was enthralled

[@YaniiiArianiii_PianoVocalMusic]

Tiffany, please tell me what is playing at this minute (7:52) ?

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

Jardin Du Clair by Lili Boulanger 🌷

[@YaniiiArianiii_PianoVocalMusic]

@@TiffanyPoonpianist Many thanks!!!🤗🙏🙏🙏

[@jannis11]

NaIce

[@aBachwardsfellow]

Is that the piano in your apartment? It looks older than the one I remember from earlier -- has there been a change?

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

Hi! Welcome back to my channel :) I changed pianos back in 2023... kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2G9pWCIprSrfas&pp=ygUYZXhpc3RlbnRpYWwgdGlmZmFueSBwb29u

[@aBachwardsfellow]

​@@TiffanyPoonpianist Such a poignant video ... I have had some very close piano friends as well. Spending time together and communicating at deep emotional levels definitely contributes to deep bonding. I would be interested to know what went into your decision to change pianos ... the current instrument has a depth and richness characteristic of older Steinways and not as present in newer ones ... I love that you have a philosophy background that enables you to to bring out -- in music and words and video -- the inner depth of the artist within the human - 🙂 PS -- it's good to be back -- sometimes life gets complicated ...

[@hans-martinriben4898]

There is actually a recording made on Alkan’s pedal piano kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XPXqmVqKllq68si=1rklgS1Ra4V4yGgC

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

That's cool! But it's not the same piece and it's not the same experience hearing someone else play the instrument 🤓

[@DrJulianNewmansChannel]

Wonderful video! Actually, the one time I laughed out loud from a piano piece was when I first heard Chopin's Scherzo No. 1 (which a friend played for me) - specifically, it was the ending that was so funny in a really fantastic way. On the topic of works by Alkan that are silly and yet compositionally very seriously involved, I really like his Funeral March on the Death of a Parrot. In terms of eccentric piano writing, I think Alkan's "Song of the Madwoman on the Seashore" would fit the bill. Incidentally, Olivier Latry has recorded some Alkan pieces on Alkan's pedal piano.

[@HidekazuOki]

The more I listen to Alkan's music the more it sounds really hilarious! It's really musical comedy in serious form. It's interesting how it seems to makes very serious music like this show a bit of a funny side too... I think this is so awesome: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoGpi3qgr8ubbZYsi=BFzpchvmzADr66L7

[@HidekazuOki]

I don't know many "silly" classical music but Beethogen's sonata "rage over a lost penny" is a lot of fun! I've never played it but I definitely enjoy listening to it. But if you really want to pursue funniness, nothing comes close to Victor Borges' antics...He was an absolute riot!!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mnzIopR6iM-sb5osi=b4QirGUPlbkyjORV

[@stevenprice776]

I thought this video made me see some of the inherent funnynist ? hmm.. is funnynist a real word ? Anyways I really enjoyed your video ; especially since you kept crosscuting between shots of cute or funny behaviors of animals & cords played on the keyboard . Thank you so much Tiff .

[@tegarlagajoebhaar8936]

Well take Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. They got a lot of classical music put in each episodes background and opening themes. Imagine if they put Alkan’s pieces during the prime of said series, that would be sick.

[@rinardman]

I'm not sure it can be considered fully silly if it wasn't used in a Monty Python skit from the 1970s! And as far as I can remember, it wasn't, so maybe it's just semi-silly. 🤭

[@T0NYD1CK]

If you like Alkan (?!?) you should also try Le chemin de fer Op. 27. As for music I like, nothing beats Chopin Nocturnes for me.

[@thalanoth]

is truth defined by existence or by perception? classic question to the universe

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

At around 5:46 you quote how 'what is commonly called ugliness in nature can in art become full of great beauty' - well did you know, Tiffany, that The English painter Constable said that 'everything is beautiful in the right light'? Of course the greatest artists tend also to be physically beautiful (eg Maria Callas, Tiffany Poon etc)... but sometimes they are ugly (eg Schubert, me etc)...

[@kinosewa]

fire emoji

[@PeaceNinja007]

🔥

[@ptg01]

See you in Grand Rapids, Mieeecheeegann !!!! BTW, I love Rossini's Cat Duet !!!

[@mrbeezkeez1599]

Marc Andre Hamelin is the king of Alkan. He takes the etude variations seriously and it surprised me how you think of this is a silly piece. Not wrong to to do so, just surprising.

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

I understand what you mean. I look forward to recording a fresh interpretation of the piece and hopefully you'll like it :)

[@mrbeezkeez1599]

@ I can’t wait!

[@romanmuller5006]

I remember Glenn Gould, playing a bagatelle by Beethoven, saying that's "bullshit". But I can't tell which bagatelle exactly was. Happy time and much success!

[@henrikmulders8633]

Silly? Satie’s embryos deséechés come to mind or maybe something by Poulenc, Shostakovich. La plus que lent by Debussy. However, all these are not on the level of the Alkan piece.

[@henrikmulders8633]

Leonard Bernstein - I hate music. I like the recording from Barbra Streisand’s early night club days.

[@kipasangin9138]

❤❤❤

[@nabney7777]

For humour in music, I would start with Haydn.

[@rabbit719]

but first of all, I donot think roughness in this music is what Rodan meant ugly. Ugly maybe on the surface, but not the content. Roughness is fine, even representing something ugly that has to be deep. I donot see depth in this music. I think many great Russian compositions are quite rough and tough but deep.

[@CatatanAimar]

Silly piece I know is Chopin's wrong note etude.

[@TiffanyPoonpianist]

Ohh but that beautiful middle section 😍

[@CatatanAimar]

@TiffanyPoonpianist Yes, not the whole thing silly. I actually still wonder why he wrote the piece in the first place.

[@adrianwright8685]

I like it a lot and don't find it 'silly' at all.

[@OziCastle]

Silly isn’t meant as an insult here

[@DISRUPTOR40]

This is the exact piece that made me discover your channel years ago !! How you say ? First time i ever heared this piece, it was performed by my favorite pianist (sorry lol 🙂) and after i started to have suggestion of your channel in my video list. From then on i watched all your videos. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2aVfn1sna-raas&ab_channel=%EA%B8%88%ED%98%B8%EC%95%84%ED%8A%B8%ED%99%80KUMHOARTHALL

[@ashleylim2954]

notes are very stark. Staccatos mainly... 'cartoonistic'

[@edvinportuly1398]

End someting Ernst T..send will(if will kod? But fine ultimate other(that I accessed -anmy ,fatym!-i and no(know,find)because,but (haw if already say)maybe no necesery(what ,,fon forne ,after..from me=blank that nowhereno filling,but complicated befasen",damnit :and no stand and many other,exist know when I yea yea -(as you ,,koiany

[@pseudotonal]

I love your videos and musicality. But, please don't talk to the universe. Talk to the true God, who is really there.