Alkan recommendations, hamelin?
Pete Psingpy
haven't heard anything by him yet), and I stumbled upon Hamelin: "Les
Quatre Ages, Festin d'esope, etc" on Hyperion. It has the grand Sonata
Op 33, Etude Op 39 no 12, Sonatine Op 61, and something else. Can
anyone comment on this cd? Should I consider something else for Alkan?
Are these good selections?
I have Hamelin's "Hamelin plays Liszt" which is excellent...so the
name "Hamelin" caught my eye.
Thanks in advance,
Pete
Ken Iisaka
usually left wanting after listening to them. While technical mastery is
brilliant, and Marc-Andre Hamelin is the only pianist alive who is capable
of playing Le Festin d'Esope in tempo, I have often felt he fails to
communicate the magnitude of intensity, layers of colours and voice, and
terror so heavily part of the music. This criticism is quote common on the
pianist himself.
Not too surprisingly, there really are not that many recordings of Alkan
pieces. Some of my favourites are as follows:
Ronald Smith - brilliantly analysed, presented, though his technique is not
up to the demands.
Jack Gibbons - eloquently performed, a little choppy and sloppy in places,
in comparison to Hamelin.
Raymond Lewenthal - perhaps the most brilliant performance of Symphonie.
Though less polished than Hamelin, he brings out the most out of the pieces.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Alkan.
Ken Iisaka
Pete Psingpy <j__@al___b.nt> wrote in message
news:3884a749...@news.albany.net...
gator
Classical MIDI Archive: http://www.prs.net/midi.html. Some are quite
good -- mine, for example.<wink>
Alkan's music is probably among the most difficult music there is to
learn to play well. His Concerto for Piano Solo (Op. 39, I think) is
immensely difficult to play -- even for a pro. The first movement
alone is nearly 30 minutes long and includes some very fast
finger-work! In it, the pianist creates the impression of the effects
of an entire orchestra while also playing the piano part. It'll leave
you with goose bumps! I heard Ronald Smith play it in a live
performance many years ago and I'm convinced that there is no piece of
music more passionate, more beautiful, and more powerful. Smith made a
recording of it that's really good.
Wally Lafferty
CVP Users Group
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Opera/4933
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Pete Psingpy
>
>Not too surprisingly, there really are not that many recordings of Alkan
>pieces. Some of my favourites are as follows:
>
>Ronald Smith - brilliantly analysed, presented, though his technique is not
>up to the demands.
>
>Jack Gibbons - eloquently performed, a little choppy and sloppy in places,
>in comparison to Hamelin.
>
>Raymond Lewenthal - perhaps the most brilliant performance of Symphonie.
>Though less polished than Hamelin, he brings out the most out of the pieces.
>
Thanks! I stumbled across "Great Pianists...20th Century John Ogdon
Vol 1", which has some Alkan (I think Op 39 ?). Anyone familiar with
Ogdon's Alkan? The disk I mention also has some other things I'm
interested in, like Scriabin, Rach, and the Busoni concerto.
-Pete
Ken Iisaka
Pete Psingpy <j__@al___b.nt> wrote in message
No, I haven't heard this one yet. I will check it out.
Which pieces in Op. 39 are included in this? Op. 39, aka Etudes in minor
keys, has twelve of them, in a, d, g, c, f, b-flat, e-flat, g#, c#, f#, b
then e minor respectively, and requires about 2 hours to perform. (30
minutes for No. 8 alone)
Pete Psingpy
>No, I haven't heard this one yet. I will check it out.
>
>Which pieces in Op. 39 are included in this? Op. 39, aka Etudes in minor
>keys, has twelve of them, in a, d, g, c, f, b-flat, e-flat, g#, c#, f#, b
>then e minor respectively, and requires about 2 hours to perform. (30
>minutes for No. 8 alone)
>
piano. I saw a review that said it was worth getting the cd just for
the Alkan.
-Pete
Pete Psingpy
>performance many years ago and I'm convinced that there is no piece of
>music more passionate, more beautiful, and more powerful. Smith made a
>recording of it that's really good.
I absolutely agree. I just bought the Ogdon Philips disk...Alkan Op 39
no 8 is truely an amazing piece of music. I can't believe I have been
listening to piano music for so long and have not even heard of Alkan
until recently. I can't compare Ogdon to anyone, since I haven't heard
any other recordings of the piece. I ended up with Ogdon since it also
had the Busoni on it which I was looking to get. I'll be looking into
more Alkan soon.
Pete
Ken Iisaka
Have fun.
Pete Psingpy <j__@al___b.nt> wrote in message
news:38a9c111....@news.albany.net...
Pete Psingpy
<kiisaka...@spam.ibm.this.net.!!> wrote:
>While Hamelin's recording of Alkan works is nothing short of stunning, I am
>usually left wanting after listening to them. While technical mastery is
>brilliant, and Marc-Andre Hamelin is the only pianist alive who is capable
>of playing Le Festin d'Esope in tempo, I have often felt he fails to
>communicate the magnitude of intensity, layers of colours and voice, and
>terror so heavily part of the music. This criticism is quote common on the
>pianist himself.
>
I ended up with the Hamelin disk and Ogdon which has Op 39 no 8. I
haven't fully listened to Hamelin yet, but I know what you mean. I
can't be critical of the guy, but sometimes the music doesn't seem
real. The performances are technically breathtaking and I have no
regrets at all for buying the disk. But, he almost makes it sound too
easy. On Ogdon's recording, I get the feeling at various points that
he is about to snap. Other times, it seems the piano is about to fly
apart. I don't really get that feeling from Hamelin.
The Grand Sonata is an incredible piece of music. I wish I had known
about Alkan earlier.
-Pete
VOCE88
>regrets at all for buying the disk. But, he almost makes it sound too
>easy. On Ogdon's recording, I get the feeling at various points that
>he is about to snap. Other times, it seems the piano is about to fly
>apart. I don't really get that feeling from Hamelin.
I also own several Hamelin recordings (although not the Alkan) and I know what
you are referring to. However, when I hear little effort in the music and the
artist is accomplishing his goal flawlessly, how can I complain?
IMHO, Marc-Andre Hamelin is one of the top 5 performing pianists today.
Richard Galassini
Cunningham Piano Co
Phila,. Pa.
1 (800) 394-1117
Thomas CSUKA
world today. I have all CD'S with Hamelin and severel records from
broadcosting. One of the best public recital with him in Paris was in 1997
what I have recorded from the broadcosting. He plaid compositions of Dussek,
Moscheles, Alkan, Liszt and Thalberg. The first time, when I heard him, it
was 1993 in a coffee-concert in Wigmore Hall in London. He had given a
recital with Chopin and Liszt ( 6 Paganin-Studies). It was fantastic.
Excuse my english, please.
Thomas Csuka
Gladbachstr.43
CH-8044 ZUERICH (Switzerland)
VOCE88 schrieb in Nachricht
<20000216063752...@ng-ff1.aol.com>...
John Gavin
virtuoso, but a fine musician. His recordings are consisently
satisfying and he is brilliant live. I would have to say that he is my
favorite living pianist.