Hamelin plays the Allegretto Alla Barbaresca from Alkan's "Concerto for Solo Piano" I know, the video quality isn't great... I think this might be a live concert from Japan. Anyhoo.. enjoy.
I just saw Marc Andre Hamelin perform live in a small town outside of Montreal and let me tell you, I have never realized how great a musician this man really is until now. He performed Berg's Sonata Op. 1, Chopin's b flat minor sonata, and this piece. Everybody should see him perform because it's very different from RU-vid. He is incredible. He poured his entire energy into each and every piece and blew everybody off their seats, not because of virtuosity, but because of pure musicianship.
This recording remastered would be so perfect. His studio recording of the Concerto is one of the best I've heard, but this is so much more bombastic, unrestrained, and that concert hall voicing is phenomenal.
@@aldomendoza505I’d pay big money for that house recording… but really, this needs to be remastered at some point. Greatest recording of the finale (bar none), and possibly the most virtuosic piano performance of all time. Hamelin at his peak was something else
Me too. There are certain piano performances on RU-vid where people ask "Wow that must be impossible?" and they get the response - "No I can play that!". That doesn't happen with this piece - at least not from creditable sources. Btw I love your channel thank you.
I think he abuses muscle memory, he has big hands for these 9th and there's a way to play this passage by focusing on the chords in the strong beat then using muscle memory to copy it an octave lower, that's what he dd imo.
Seriously, he's the master hand-weaver... I have never seen anything like his skills... complete confidence and passionate joining of his soul to that instrument
This is typical of today's trend to overrate executants at the expense of creators. Composers should always count for less than players (I know MH composes but he he would rate himself as very minor). And particularly Americans have an absolute obsession with mere technique (as is fitting for a mechanical civilisation)
Everyone start sharing this video on whatever social network you can get your hands on. I have NO IDEA why this video has less than 100k views, it most certainly deserves 100 million. Hamelin is the best pianist alive.
This guy is... just... unbelievably good. This is the most glorious performance of the 3rd movement of this Alkan piece I've ever heard. I just wish the video and sound were of better quality!
When you factor in the repertiore, skill, stamina, speed, control, touch, creativity, flawlessness, showmanship, delivery of passion, music, and making it all look easy.....it is possible that this guy is the greatest, or at least one of the greatist pianist of ALL TIME. Of course I can't prove that, but it seems very likely. WOW!!!!
This is a true virtuoso. Playing the music of possibly the best piano virtuoso of all time. It's really a shame that Alkan's music is so little known by the general public today... I just don't understand why.
Amazing. I try to learn something every day of my life, but even after all these years to find not only an artist, but a great composer that I never heard of before is a joy. It shows that there's probably more to look forward to.
I've listened to a lot of ravel, liszt and others and you are currently listening to the most technically accomplished piano performance so far recorded on youtube. MAH is a not 'super-virtuosi' for no reason..
James Rose and can you tell me the video recording version of that-ravel-liszt-etc you had heard? do you have a problem with classical video recording on youtube?
The fact that a human beying can play this music, let alone bring it to live, is astounding. I am going to work as hard on the piano as I can because of performances like this...
This is genius way beyond my comprehension. How could any mere mortal compose such a gigantic sound? How could any mere mortal sit at a piano and make it sound like that? This composition is so unrelentingly intense that I think even hardened metal-heads would really dig it. In addition to being a virtuoso on the piano, Hamelin is also an elite, Olympic-class athlete. His forearms must look like Popeye's under those sleeves!
I love watching Hamelin play. He makes everything look so easy, and doesn't move much, unlike a lot of others...reminds me of Horowitz. When his body does move, you know it's a really intense moment and makes the music that much more impressive. Kind of like a world class conductor who understands the art of showmanship. The passage at 7:14 is the first time I've seen him actually look like he's struggling...amazing!
He is so precise! How can he maintain such a multiplicity with so much calmness? Just watch some difficult piano pieces by Richter, Argerich, Cziffra - all of them waved hands and looked fully inside the piece. Horowitz used to have looked a bit 'distracted and detached', but still strained at fast parts. And only Hamelin manages to look 100 % calm and relaxed, even when hitting faraway octaves. 3:15 - 3:20 - hilarious body dance! =D Such a comprehensively genial person! Thanks for posting!
This entire recital was just ridiculous. Considering the scope of the repertoire, and how well he pulled it all off, Hamelin really should be in the running for the next "Wonder of the World". By far the most talented Canadian since Glenn Gould, yet sadly 99% of Canadians have never heard of him. Regardless, he's doing our nation (and of course his province) proud!
I would say Hamelin is probably the best Pianist alive today. Even when he plays the hardest pieces ever written he still looks like he's got 'more in the tank'.
Alkans work is some of the most intricate and technical pieces for piano I have ever heard. For some reason I doubt that anyone who leaves any criticism on this page really knows anything about music theory or technique.
Yes I love his 'doing the chicken' bit at 3.15 too! From about 7 mins he simply destroys the opposition with speed, timing and precision that is unmatched in the world today.
If 99% of Canadians haven't heard him, I gather that 99.999% of Americans havent heard of him. To me, Hamelin is already enshrined as one of the greatest pianists of the 21st Century. This is "sick" playing and I watch, listen and try to keep my mouth closed.
Hamelin does take Alkan's metronome markings seriously (SEE HIS CD RECORDED VERSION), in concerts he lets everythiing go which is interesting and refreshing, and he is the best pianist alive no doubt about it
Have seen M.A.H. live in Holland and he made one hell of an impression on me. As to Alkan, there are composers who chose to stay out of the sight of the public but who wrote pretty damn good music!
I am so honoured to see this. From about 7.15 onwards it is just a biblical performance. I would love to meet this man. I know he misses a few notes but that is just proof that this is real! My God he is fast. Watch how he tucks his fifth finger under his forth all the time. Run of the mill for a Virtuoso but actually very tricky especially if you need to give particular notes an accent.
For those who HAVE tried to look into his musicality and have not found beauty, I hope you'd take a second try. Alkan does have a style of short motifs and bursts, which may sound like random bangings, but looking at the bigger picture I do find beauty in his virtuoso works. For those who are more concerned about complexity of chord progressions defining musical depth, I must say while good command of complex harmony does entail musical depth, good music does not necessarily need complex harmony
I can't even comprehend how much talent Hamelin has. Rubinstein and Horowitz are so far above my talent level, but at least I can somewhat understand and follow their talent. As for Hamelin, I'm just lost. He's by far the most technically advanced pianist I've ever seen live or in recording...............
Young Kissin had phenomenal technique like in Fuex Follets, but I feel like he doesn’t have the same precision today and his interpretations are kind of weird. His Liszt and Chopin are best I’d say.
Mr. Hamelin is a fine performer of any composer, including his own work. Anyone who has seen him in person, as I have, or has been privilaged to own his recordings (I do) knows that his musicianship is without parallel. Obviously Beethoven is included in his repetiore; he chooses to share Alkan with us because he his moved by the composer's wit, skill, sensitivity and (above all) musical genius. These are all of the attributes that Beethoven posseses.
"This guy surely never heard of the beautiful simplicity of just a few notes at a time" Very definately not true. Listen to the preludes, but particularly the Esquisses, an amazing, sparkling set of minature gems.
every theme is incredible and the variations are genius but in form it seems more like an etude op with several variations. still i cant get enough of the variations at 7:03 - 7:30 and how the main theme is brought back in a dif key. definitely a great masterpiece
@cslewis623 I suppose his name is known to the people of Quebec. In other provinces, though, he's far from a celebrity unless you yourself play piano, or are generally a classical enthusiast.
I don't know what's wrong with me but I am obsessed with this piece of music. The last time I felt like this was when I heard Rach's second for the first time but in many ways this is even better. Everytime I listen I find something new I like about it. It is a treasure trove of technique, contrast, emotion and downright brilliance. Those chords at 7.28 to 7.35 are a piano equivalent of a nuclear bomb! I can almost see smoke coming off that Piano as he bows!
I totally agree with you. I find it ridiculous people would ever call Alkan "empty music." That's just fucking preposterous - no nicer way to put it. I love his work.
There is a Dover edtion of the score which was released about 5 years ago. it contains this, the symphony, and le festin d'esope. very easy to obtain. marc-andre hamelin does the forward and introduction. i also have the original scores which were printed in france but they are a fortune. try amazon or sheetmusicplus for the dover edition.
My POV is that Alkan might be striving for a more raw form of beauty, rather than an abstract form - raw being manifested in the endless variety of performance elements built on relatively simple chords. He capitalised on the resource that he was so blessed to have FULL access to, that is technique and ways of playing a tune. Of course my argument might be wrong, but I hope it presents another way of looking at virtuosity for all those haters of 'showing off'-virtuosity out there.
For most very difficult pieces, they are hard not because the composer intended them to be, but because the composer wanted to achieve a desired effect. The technical difficulties are a side effect in a way.
@anonymousQ45 Yes, correct, it is an etude Opus 39 No. 10. Alkan knew his music was devilishly exhausting for the pianist and the value of his music is 'greater than or equal to a masterpiece'. But he also had a perfect sense of humour; he laughes at us when he says, "I composed nothing more than just an etude, just a bit corcerto-ish, never mind". =)
Gibbons one is more musical than this one. Even you can understand more and clearly what is happening through which I don't in SOME parts of this recording. Don't take me in a wrong way, Hamelin is a beast and maybe the best technical pianist alive, but I find Gibbons's interpretation better
This might sound like a random thought but. I have no idea how the pianos of alkans time could withstand such a piece of music back then... I'm sure even With this steinway Hamelin was playing on was getting close to breaking a string or two lol.
