Vincenzo Maltempo plays Alkan: 12 Études dans tous les tons mineurs Op 39 (Complete) 

Most pianists would have trouble performing even ONE of these etudes. To perform all 12 in one sitting is indeed a near superhuman feat.

Are you crazy? What a monumental achievement, live! but, WERE YOU CRAZY?

Playing Liszt's Transcendental Études for 1 hour straight is so crazy. Playing Alkan's Etudes, including two massive pieces, for 2 hours straight is just INCREDIBLE.

Never heard Alkan played like this. A new level of genius.

This man right here makes me very proud. To play all of these pieces of mine in one sitting is remarkable even to me, and to play it with expressive interpretation as well. This man deserves a solid gold piano.

Playing Alkan for 2 hours without any sheet is simply insane.

00:55 (no.1 "Comme le vent") 05:40 (no.2 "en rythme molossique") 14:48 (no.3 "scherzo-diabolico") 20:53 (no.4 "Symphony, 1st movement: Allegro") 32:27 (no.5 "Symphony, 2nd movement: Marche funebre") 40:12 (no.6 "Symphony, 3th movement: Menuet") 45:55 (no.7 "Symphony, 4th movement: Finale") 51:32 (no.8 "Concerto, 1st movement") 1:21:00 (no.9 "Concerto, 2nd movement") 1:33:48 (no.10 "Concerto, 3rd movement") 1:45:03 (no.11 "Ouverture") 2:00:10 (no.12 "Le festin d'Esope") there was timeline up there :(

Yes, this was a a remarkable show of endurance---he played all those notes---but what's most important is that he played them musically, with flexible tempo and expressivity and beautiful tone from beginning to end. Much more than an athletic feat, it was an artistic one!

A true genius, he is not human... I don't know if the Nobel prize of music exists, but if it exists, he deserves it...

One of only *three* human beings walking this planet who EVER played the whole Op. 39 LIVE at one sitting (with Jack Gibbons - *four!* times, Oxford 1995, London 1996, Oxford 2013, New York 2013 - and Teppo Koivisto, Helsinki 2007). ''By comparison'', climbing Mount Everest is but a walk in the park - about 5,000 of those human beings have done exactly that over the past 62 years. Clearly one of the greatest achievements of *all* time in *any* given field...

Maltempo? More like Buontempo!

Twelve etudes that take more than two hours. Op. 39 is an entire musical universe in itself. It can't be fully appreciated in just one concert. You'll have to come back to this and absorb it piece by piece over time.

I've heard Lewenthal, Hamelin, Ringeissen, Smith, Gibbons, etc., and have to say this is simply the BEST Alkan I have ever experienced. Bravo!

As others mention, Mr. Maltempo not only has the necessary, yet rare, virtuosity to play these pieces, but is a true musician with an always attractive sound, great sensitivity to the most sophisticated use of the damper pedal, wonderful balance at such high speeds, a sure sense of style, always graceful in the lighter moments. Really a great artist and pianist. Immediately purchased the 3 CD Alkan recording and Schumann.

Holy Christ. this is astonishing. IMHO one of the most important posts in youtube history. I can't even begin to understand how you achieve this Vincenzo! seriously frightening! BRAVISSIMO!!!!!

How did his hands not fall off? Any one of those pieces is unbelievably difficult and he played for 2 hours straight.

I saw you play those Études in a church in Klagenfurt, Austria two years ago. Best concert ever. Thank you for reviving the mostly unknown genius Alkan!

I have no words that can do this achievement justice. You're a Titan of humanity.

First I thought wow he memorized all those notes, then I noticed the iPad on the desk. Very articulate performance!

This is too impressive to exist in this world

One of the best live performances I have ever seen. These etudes are some of the hardest piano pieces ever written, so to play them all in one sitting is amazing! Edit: Imagine he came back for an encore where he played Le Preux lol

He didn't look like he had all that much sweat on his head. Can you imagine if Danii or Yunchan were to play Alkan for two hours? The concert hall would be flooded lol

Fourth time in a month that I'm listening to this full concert. I long thought that Hamelin couldn't be matched in this kind of repertoire. But this is great. Sure, you can hear the occasional slip or wrong note, but the musicality is really at the top. I've always liked and loved some of Alkan's works but not everything. Here it's really a pleasure to listen to Vincenzo's playing, as it all makes sense with his interpretation. thanks, and congratulations also for this very physical challenge!

I bow to the rise of Alkan ! The return of the golden days is here ! Charles Valentin Alkan!

probably one of the most underrated videos I've seen in a while

Holy SHIIIIT, Amazing playing~!~! That ending to the the symphonie 1st mvt, that concerto...., that festin d'esope, and it's live too... Absolutely incredible pianism, genius!!

1:33:47 :3 op. 39 no. 10 My FAVORITE! :3 An exellent interpretation!

Sergio Tiempo and Vincenzo Maltempo. How fun their surnames are and how serious their musical achievements are. I have to back up this video. Thanks.

Il faut qu'Alkan soit connu. Un aussi grand génie se partage !

Timestamps for My Personal Favorite Moments 1:51:36 45:55 35:38 1:24:40

Phenomenal. I will be watching/listening to this again and again. I can't even imagine the degree of physical and mental stamina required to perform this live especially with such gusto!

I love his last name, "mal tempo." I'm sorry your child will never play piano, bad timing is his last name!

Grazie per averci fatto conoscere il Grande Alkan.Abbiamo seguito la sua magistrale esecuzione dei 12 studi nei toni minori.Fondamentale approfondimento nel suo libro per la biografia e per le strutture e per le elaborazione tematiche. Complimenti.!!!

Qu'on aime ou pas Alkan, cet enregistrement en concert est stupéfiant de maitrise technique et de profonde musicalité. La performance physique elle aussi est extraordinaire. Bravo Maestro, bravissimo !

I came for Comme le Vent and you hooked me for 2 hours into this... incredible feat! And such musicality as well. Incredible

Totalement hallucinant ...j'adore Alkan, j'ai beaucoup travaillé le festin d'esope, le concerto ( quel travail ...) mais alors pour enchaîner tout ...ça demande une endurance , une mémoire colossale...bref c'est totalement incroyable ...ravi d'avoir découvert ce pianiste !

Absolutely fantastic Vincenzo!!! This video deserves far more views.

This is simply incredible. There's not much else to be said. You should be called Vincenzo Beltempo for bringing such a work and such amazing musicianship to a captive Japan audience and to a captive internet audience too!

It is so impressive to see Vincenzo playing easily such large, hard and beautiful pieces. Bravo!

Udoubtedly one of the most important and virtuosic youtube videos of that decade...

Depends what sort of chairs the audience was sitting on for over 2 hours, and if they all remained attentive but surely they could have given a better ovation for this superb marathon performance - it does not matter if score assistance was given, this is still a great recital where the last few bars are as fresh as the earlier ones, superb stamina from Maltempo.

HOLY CRAP !!! AND ONLY 29 - I WIKI-ed HIM !!! WHAT A STAGGERING ACCOMPLISHMENT - CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT'S NEXT !!! SINCE HE STARTED AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, THE ONLY THING LEFT MUST BE COMPOSING !!! I'M WILLING TO BET HE FANTASIZED ABOUT WRITING THAT LAST WORD IN THE TITLE OF THIS VIDEO FOR YOU TUBE, FOR A LONG TIME - ("COMPLETE") !!!

It is astronishingly amazing to see an performance of whole Etudes of this set. Wow... you left name behind in piano history!

Sono arrivato qui da Halidon Music, dove ho dovuto interrompere l'ascolto di "Liszt: The Great Piano Works" per andarmi a cercare questo Vincenzo Maltempo che lo suonava così divinamente. I 42 dislikers sono senz'altro invidiosi, personalmente per scrivere questo commento ho dovuto in ordine: aspettare la fine del primo brano, mettere in pausa, chiudere la bocca e scrivere. Non vedo come sia possibile non apprezzzare un talento così gargantuesco! Complimenti vivissimi, ti auguro il meglio.

Simply incredible! To be able to perform all of Alkan's Etudes in one recital is prodigious! These etudes are very difficult in digital but also mental terms, remembering all the notes and being able to face all the technical pitfalls in a single concert is really superhuman. Not only is this a technical prodigy, but Vincenzo plays in a beautiful and passionate way from the start to the end and you don't feel the slightest fatigue even when he gets to the last etude "festin d'esope" which most pianists are not able to interpret in which it is technically etremely demanding. Vincenzo Maltempo is a genius comparable to Marc André Hamelin, Martha Argerich or Sviatoslav Richter. Semplicemente incredibile! Essere capace di interpretare tutte le Etudes di Alkan in un solo recital è prodigioso! Queste etudes sono molto difficili in termini digitale ma anche mentale, ricordare tutte le note e potere affrontare tutte le trappe tecniche in una sola serata di concerto è proprio sovraumano. Non solo questo è un prodigio tecnico, ma Vincenzo suona in un modo bellissimo ed appassionato dall'inizio alla fine e non si sente la minima fatica anche quando arriva all'ultima etude "festin d'esope" che la maggior parte dei pianisti non sono in grado di interpretare talmente è esigente tecnicamente. Vincenzo Maltempo è un genio paragonabile a Marc André Hamelin, Martha Argerich o Sviatoslav Richter.

To be honest, I've gasped in excitement. Bravo! You truly have been blessed by Alkan's hands!

AMAZING!!! Finally all the Études in 1 LIVE performance. Even surprisingly well performed, bravissimo!

This is absolutely incredible.

Thanks for the hard work you put into Alkan's music. I love to listen this recital once in a while!

Maestro Vincenzo è Orgoglio Italiano!! Few pianists all over the world can perform a program like this!!

Did I not hear the audience cough a single time? This video has to be fake the audience knows how to act and this guy plays Alkan for 2 hours!! This is too perfect

So many incredible pieces here! Many thanks for this amazing upload.

This is really fantastic, Vincenzo...and beautiful playing throughout! Congratulations!!!

Che grande pianista italiano! E che meraviglioso repertorio dimenticato!

I cannot even fathom the amount of preparation that went into this. Some of the best interpretations as well. Bravo!

Alkan -Un compositeur â qui vous rendez un merveilleux hommage . MERCI

The brow wipe at the end, hahaha. Amazing, absolutely amazing.

he has hands of steel

How I only just found this is beyond me, but this is an achievement akin to Leonidas Kavakos performing the Paganini caprices. You sir are insane. I didn’t know there were people who could perform Alkan like this.

Bravo!! Transcendantal techniques! They are beautiful music. Original!!

BRAVISSIMO!!! What a wonderful performance of such an underrated work

This is a phenomenal achievement worthy of great respect. This repertoire wouldn't be my first choice - but any good pianist understands how much hard work, practise and dedication is required to complete such a project ... I take my hat off to this young man.

The sound is ridiculously good, and the pedalling is perfect. Never heard alkan like this. Since I don't know how to criticize alkan pieces decently, I'll just say the cliche that I loved the tempos, and never heard pedalling like this honestly ;)

Practicing scherzo diabolico currently and just watching how fluently your hands move makes me more aware of how I play and improves my technique, thank you!

my hands hurt just to see him play

Miraculous combination of awesome musicianship and technical precision!!! Bravissimo

It's like playing Liszt's 12 transcendental studies s137, the paganini studies *s140* and concert etudes in the same concert

Only 2,400 views while Lisitsa, La Wang and Lang van Bang get millions ?!? Something must be wrong on this planet!

Amazing!!

It's a huge musical feat! Bravo!

Bravo Vincenzo, non ti conoscevo...formidabile!

Just ingeniously! Words are superfluous! 🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏👏👏

Wow! Amazingly done! I used to really dislike the Alkan Minor Etudes, but somehow your performance was so awe-inspiring that I saw some really good things in them! Good job, and continue making use of that talent of yours!

Thanks for the hard work

I can't imagine the control and stamina he must have to play all 12 of these etudes in one sitting

1:24:40 is just beautiful

Maestro, ogni volta che ascolto le tue esecuzioni mi vengono i brividi e la mente vola alla nostra infanzia. Un'amicizia di lunga data, che, nonostante la vita ci abbia portato su strade diverse, ci ha sempre portati a nutrire reciproca stima. Esibizione EPICA. Astonishing. Stunning.

Quelle infinité de possible !Une intelligence aimante , une rancontre de virtuosité entre vous et Alkan , une grand générosité au être sensible que nous sommes. Athos Rivera

Very true: Monumental! Bravo, from Costa Rica!

Thank you so much for publicly providing the recording of this recital. This was such a historical moment... Like I know most people can't really understand Alkan's imagination-- But he's by far my favorite romantic period piano composer. Words cannot express how much I appreciate such a high quality recording of these etudes. I have studied these pieces for many years and I found my interpretations bland and my recording equipment far too lacking. After this video was posted years back, all that changed. I no longer desired a recording, because this existed, nor was there a purpose in my own interpretation because these are simply so good. -one of few who will continue to listen to and study this for years to come. (Also perhaps your biggest fan despite being the biggest nobody in these comments.)

Ammetto che non conoscevo (mea culpa) il maestro Maltempo prima di vedere questo video. non credevo ai miei occhi quando, cercando video sullo studio numero 12, mi sono imbattuto in questo. Maestro lei ha fatto qualcosa di incredibile..i miei più sentiti complimenti.

Just bought the 15 CD album Brilliant Classics offers and Maltempo s disc of these astounding works totally unknown or unrecognized in his lifetime is truly sublime. So many great pianists out of Italy nowadays, bravissimo ! We had heard of Alkan s works through MAH now Maltempo shows superceding talent...nothing less!

Wish I would have been there. What a fantastic performance of Alkan' s masterpiece. I

Fantastic piano playing! Bravissimo!!

You need to be physically fit as well as mentally fit to perform all twelve in one go. An ultra-marathon of the fingers!

Gorgeous and cyclopic recital, awesome!

who could give a dislikes? Only absolutely brainless persons.This is a rare and outstanding performance, by heart! Phenomenal mentally, technically, musically and so on...Superhuman!

THATS PASSION!!! YOU ARE GREAT VINCENZO!!!!

pas de mots pour qualifier cela, juste inimaginable

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

4:01 - so, yeah... VM, I'm listening to the 1st one- You're doing an Incredibly musical performance of an Etude. !! I love it. Really. Thank you for making it MORE than "just about the notes".

Bravissimo signor Maltempo!! You are a great pianist!!

Le récital le plus incroyable de tous les temps.

- How hard do you want your pieces to be ? Alkan : Yes

Gracias Maestro 🙏

Beautifull!!!

Playing Alkan for straight 2 hours is unexplainable!

Absolutely Monumental performance!

Was not at all familiar with Alkan, really shockingly tremendous music. The performance is just bogglingly impressive and beautuful.

I love how at 2:04:08 he releases the sustain pedal for that section...