Hamelin's ability to hold the tempo in this piece is phenomenal. There is never any distracting "emergency rubato," only the occasional very well placed rubato (2:40 for instance). The piece just hammers on and on as if being led by a conductor with 80 musicians in sync... like a Symphony!
I don't know, I would have prefered a bit of rubato in the dolce sections. Not too much; obviously the staccato crotchets are ticking underneath, but the melodies are beautiful and deserve room to breathe.
[cont.] "It's one of my most listened-to recordings and my favourite performance of the Alkan symphony I have, he's just on top of the world - chord voicing, bringing out inner melodies, giving it his all with complete mastery. Even the few wrong notes don't detract from the atmosphere - they add to the excitement! The outburst at the end of the 1st movement is one of the few recordings that still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it."
Very well said. A friend of mine simply summed the wonderful expressiveness of that chord up, saying that "Hamelin should be given a Pulitzer Prize for that moment".
No words. Mark André is a kind of ET. Or he is from unknown planet where super humans live. And he is becoming more and more perfect every year. Stunning!
He makes mistakes indeed, but those tiny flaws add to the excitement rather than detract from the atmosphere, methinks! If one turns his perfect pitch off and listens to the recording as a passionate emotional revelation, he will see what I'm talking about. ;) In my opinion, this is MAH's best recording of the Symphony for solo piano.
@@Hitherto90very insignificant, but some in the RH I would like to point out are at 1:20, 2:04, and 2:22. Again, totally passable and dismissible especially given this was live and he’s playing at such a fast tempo.
It's from Aspen Music Festival, 25 June, 2009. A great friend of mine gave it to me, who remarked (I hope he'll have no problem with the quote!): "I have lots of recording of him playing this repertoire over the last couple of years, but I think this recital blows all the others out of the water. Maybe it's the microphone positioning, but it's just fantastic and his virtuosity just shines." [cont.]
Long ago I bought a recording of Alkan's Symphonie played by Raymond Lewenthal. He too took the finale at a blisteringly fast pace. No other performance I have come across since has matched it in speed or excitement... until this one. Thank you, Mr. Hamelin.
These days I really appreciate what Sir Marc-André Hamelin does. Once I thought he is just into technical pieces and his musical approach seemed that way as well. But obviously I was wrong.. this is such an exciting and almost edgy playing.. I only know a few who gives so much of both musical expression and technical achievement. Someone like Brezovsky probably comes closest. But for example in Liszt 12 trancendental study, he still have to play mechanically and not so musically. Of course I love Brezovsky's playing so much as well, I have to consider that Hamelin's Alkan is probably at the higher level of artistic world.. This can be compared with Gould's Bach or Horowitz's Rachmaninov playing. Top of the top, amazing stuff!
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sorry for taking long - albeit I think it was worth waiting, wasn't it? :) By the way, I've also uploaded a short encore to this gorgeous frenzy - be sure to watch it!
Honestly they should invent a whole new time signature marking: a C with two lines through it to signify counting by semibreves instead of the C with one line that signifies counting by minims.
Hideous piece. If Hamelin prefers lesser known composers, he should record the 4 Scharwenka piano concerti. Or perhaps tackle Hummel’s concerti - they certainly provide the technical virtuosity that Hamelin needs.
I think the main issue here was over-pedalling. He used it as an emergency measure to try to cover up inaccuracies and lack of crispness in the octaves.
It is miraculous that he can play this piece, but why on earth would you spend all that effort learning such a terrible piece? It's 3rd rate Mendelssohn at best. Again, Hamelin is extraordinary, the Godowsky of our age, but comon Marco, relax, you don't have to play crap like this!
It is harder to appreciate Alkan's music though. It takes quite a bit of listening to understand his unique style of composing. You will understand that his pieces are rather 'unique' instead of musically bad/crap, etc. Also his pieces have quite a bit of humor which makes all the difference! The first time I listened to Alkan I thought the same thing as you.
It's not just extremely hard. Alkan has a kind of "damn the torpedoes" humor in a lot of his music. You can almost see the diabolical grin on his face as he writes his music to paper. That's what a lot of people find so awesome about Alkan.
I've never been attracted to Mendelssohn's music. To me it's just the opposite. Sorry. I don't like every piece that Alkan ever wrote by a long shot but the concerto and symphony for solo piano are obvious masterpieces in the piano rep, albeit, very difficult ones.
Hamelin's ability to hold the tempo in this piece is phenomenal. There is never any distracting "emergency rubato," only the occasional very well placed rubato (2:40 for instance). The piece just hammers on and on as if being led by a conductor with 80 musicians in sync... like a Symphony!
Exactly, well said!
I don't know, I would have prefered a bit of rubato in the dolce sections. Not too much; obviously the staccato crotchets are ticking underneath, but the melodies are beautiful and deserve room to breathe.
The section from 02:00 has been on repeat in my head for days now. Must stop enthusiastically humming in the street...
Happens a lot with Alkan
It’s so epic!
How tf do you hum that lmao. People walking by will think you're having a seizure
@@xiuqingsun3466 Hum the bass, that's the actual melody there
it is whole note = 96, nearly 400 bpm, there is 800 quarter notes per minute, nearly 13 n/s for the whole passage. It is really fast
One of the best thing ever heard.
[cont.] "It's one of my most listened-to recordings and my favourite performance of the Alkan symphony I have, he's just on top of the world - chord voicing, bringing out inner melodies, giving it his all with complete mastery. Even the few wrong notes don't detract from the atmosphere - they add to the excitement! The outburst at the end of the 1st movement is one of the few recordings that still gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it."
Very well said. A friend of mine simply summed the wonderful expressiveness of that chord up, saying that "Hamelin should be given a Pulitzer Prize for that moment".
No words. Mark André is a kind of ET.
Or he is from unknown planet where super humans live.
And he is becoming more and more perfect every year. Stunning!
Where Cziffra and Katsaris were born
@@alextheodoridis4075In the same planet as Hamelin; Krypton
damn i love those two so much. Alkan for composing this and Hamelin for performing this. Some true Madlads over here
He makes mistakes indeed, but those tiny flaws add to the excitement rather than detract from the atmosphere, methinks! If one turns his perfect pitch off and listens to the recording as a passionate emotional revelation, he will see what I'm talking about. ;) In my opinion, this is MAH's best recording of the Symphony for solo piano.
I've listened to this recording dozens of times, I've never heard a mistake.
@@Hitherto90very insignificant, but some in the RH I would like to point out are at 1:20, 2:04, and 2:22. Again, totally passable and dismissible especially given this was live and he’s playing at such a fast tempo.
2:00 SO GOOD
It's from Aspen Music Festival, 25 June, 2009. A great friend of mine gave it to me, who remarked (I hope he'll have no problem with the quote!): "I have lots of recording of him playing this repertoire over the last couple of years, but I think this recital blows all the others out of the water. Maybe it's the microphone positioning, but it's just fantastic and his virtuosity just shines." [cont.]
LOL, WHOLE NOTE = 96 WHAT IS THIS MADNESS
It appears that alkan doesn't like to use any note values smaller than 1/8.
SpaghettiToaster I guess it’s written that way so players can easily read it-that’s the only thing easy about this super difficult piece.
@@SpaghettiToaster there are some semi quavers at the end
_speedcore_
POV Alkan forgets about time signatures
Long ago I bought a recording of Alkan's Symphonie played by Raymond Lewenthal. He too took the finale at a blisteringly fast pace. No other performance I have come across since has matched it in speed or excitement... until this one. Thank you, Mr. Hamelin.
Not a fan of Alkan, but even I can't deny the utter brilliance of this piece!
How can you say you are not a fan of Alkan when over 80 pieces of hiS are unplayed
@@gjeacocke what are those pieces?
I love this video
i feel the same thing.. this is played at definitely super-human speed, simply crazy..
And I heard him do it in San Francisco. So far, his abilities are unequaled in this current era.
A masterpiece worthy of the name! Thanks Alkan :)
Excellent work by MAH as always.
One would never mistake this for anything else.
These days I really appreciate what Sir Marc-André Hamelin does.
Once I thought he is just into technical pieces and his musical approach seemed that way as well.
But obviously I was wrong.. this is such an exciting and almost edgy playing..
I only know a few who gives so much of both musical expression and technical achievement.
Someone like Brezovsky probably comes closest. But for example in Liszt 12 trancendental study, he still have to play mechanically and not so musically.
Of course I love Brezovsky's playing so much as well, I have to consider that Hamelin's Alkan is probably at the higher level of artistic world.. This can be compared with Gould's Bach or Horowitz's Rachmaninov playing.
Top of the top, amazing stuff!
2:00-2:33. Where it's fucking at.
Haden Plouffe look at Maltempo's recording. Nice also
It was worth waiting indeed. It would be my pleasure to view the encore. Many thanks!
i have to agree, although there might be slips, the climax is just too magnificent for words to describe..
Wow!
heard him play the Symphony for solo piano live in Chicago...he was awesome
Thanks for loading this - I' ve been looking for this score for ages. I can't think of a better encore.
3:13
FINALLY YAY
THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING
holy shit it sounds like a 100 instruments just like a big concert
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sorry for taking long - albeit I think it was worth waiting, wasn't it? :) By the way, I've also uploaded a short encore to this gorgeous frenzy - be sure to watch it!
I'm the 700th person to like this video Yay!!!
I think this tempo is faster than Alkan's tempo(96=o)
Around 96-103!
best part 1:08
This isn’t Presto this isn’t prestissimo, this is Prestoississississimo
Honestly they should invent a whole new time signature marking: a C with two lines through it to signify counting by semibreves instead of the C with one line that signifies counting by minims.
I had to check and make sure my UA-cam setting wasn’t set a double speed
Listening to the playback at half speed, you really notice the missed high notes at 2:15 and 2:20.
오히려 좋아
Would you mind posting a video/recording of you playing it? Really, I'd love to hear it :)
2:00
Holy shit
Fastest tempo I have ever seen - 384?!?!
Which means he plays around 13 eighth notes per second. Remarkable.
Shostakovich String quartet 8 2nd Mvm
Is it just me or were there a few slips in there?
whole note... 96?
Jesus!
i kind of get the right hand but the left hand is just impossible in this piece
is this from a recent concert?
tru diz almoz on da zame level az da zepp coldfart
shit is brilliant
Give Maltempo a listen (starts at 4th movement (ua-cam.com/video/_VW2ms-jpCY/v-deo.html))
Whole note =96
Jack Gibbons is good too.
ahaha da fuckin zkep
96= one whole note wtf lmao
ahahah yo fuckin profile pic, a dead giveaway tru 8)
Hideous piece. If Hamelin prefers lesser known composers, he should record the 4 Scharwenka piano concerti. Or perhaps tackle Hummel’s concerti - they certainly provide the technical virtuosity that Hamelin needs.
I love Hamelin but he butchered this piece and my favourite part (the climax) :(
Hamelin is an incredible pianist, but even he struggled a bit here. That's just how insane this piece is.
I think the main issue here was over-pedalling. He used it as an emergency measure to try to cover up inaccuracies and lack of crispness in the octaves.
He didn't struggle bruh his performance is perfect
@@SeigneurReefShark if you consider lots of wrong notes perfect... 2:00
@@123eldest I mean I don't care about wrong notes, I don't even hear them, it adds even more crazyness, madness, that makes it even better
It is miraculous that he can play this piece, but why on earth would you spend all that effort
learning such a terrible piece? It's 3rd rate Mendelssohn at best. Again, Hamelin is
extraordinary, the Godowsky of our age, but comon Marco, relax, you don't have to play crap like this!
It is harder to appreciate Alkan's music though. It takes quite a bit of listening to understand his unique style of composing. You will understand that his pieces are rather 'unique' instead of musically bad/crap, etc. Also his pieces have quite a bit of humor which makes all the difference! The first time I listened to Alkan I thought the same thing as you.
This great music! Horowitz played this . Horowitz like it. So no crap.
;-)
It's not just extremely hard. Alkan has a kind of "damn the torpedoes" humor in a lot of his music. You can almost see the diabolical grin on his face as he writes his music to paper. That's what a lot of people find so awesome about Alkan.
I've never been attracted to Mendelssohn's music. To me it's just the opposite. Sorry. I don't like every piece that Alkan ever wrote by a long shot but the concerto and symphony for solo piano are obvious masterpieces in the piano rep, albeit, very difficult ones.
William Hirtz did you just call Mendelssohn third-rated?
Piano MADNESS! FANTASTIC!
2:01
1:53