Alkan - Grande Sonate 'Les Quatre Ages' - 30 Ans 1/2

[lebannerfan65]

I have found my catharsis! One of the most vivid, flourishing and mesmerizing pieces of music I've ever heard. Truly inspiring.

[pearsewl]

1:12 I think I heard Frosty the Snowman

[KeithWhalen11]

@pearsewl Hahahahaha, I hear it too now that you've pointed it out.

[kastlesucksTDOTS]

Surely one of the most cruel compositions EVER!

5:00 is AMAZING!!

[OrangeSodaKing]

Listen to 3:23. Doesn't that remind you of that huge D Major section about three or four minutes into Liszt's Sonata in B Minor?

But wait! This sonata was composed and published a few years BEFORE Liszt's. Hmm...

;)

[Laudan08]

@OrangeSodaKing could liszt play this?

[OrangeSodaKing]

@Laudan08 Oh yeah! I'm sure he could play it very well! In fact, I think he did know it, because his sonata has obvious similarities to this movement. Check out my video I just uploaded about the similarities between the two works.

[gerardbedecarter]

@OrangeSodaKing .... Liszt knew Alkan's piano works and this must have include this piece. He used Alkan's themes and transformations in his own B minor Sonata.

[aranithil]

This is...awesome.

[aatall]

Aww, it ends at the best part!

[imawsome13]

I'd like to first thank you for all of your wonderful Alkan videos! I was wondering if it would be possible for you to upload the rest of this monumental recording.

[KeithWhalen11]

Hey, no problem man. I'll try to upload the rest later tonight, gonna go watch my friend's hockey game after dinner. I'll have 20 and 40 Ans up by tomorrow no questions asked. :)

[havenotname]

thanks very much ^^ I'm looking forward it !!

[KeithWhalen11]

20 Ans is up, I have to fix 40 Ans and split it into 2 parts, damn you youtube!

[morvensky]

All this piece is, is technically bullshitting around.

[KeithWhalen11]

After listening to the work that's the most insightful comment you could come up with? You could always go listen to something else, you know. I included quotes in the notes section for a reason, to inform people like you, who are bound to assess the piece as being superficial. Listen to the Sonata as a whole and maybe you'll begin to understand the significance of this movement.

[morvensky]

indeed, i will listen to the whole piece and than see if i can come up with something more insightful.

[KeithWhalen11]

Excellent, because I don't like spending time ripping my favorite CD's, which I've purchased, and uploading them for people to shit on. I also haven't included the 40 Ans movement, maybe I'll do that and you can listen to the whole Sonata here on youtube. Sound good?

[morvensky]

yes, that sounds delightful.

[Lukecash12]

Those tremolos in the major climax are a summary of the genius of this entire piece. Paramount intensity and beauty. You don't listen to Alkan with your hateful, discerning ears. You listen with your heart. Anyone know where i could get free sheets for this piece(i know i'm cheap)?

[KeithWhalen11]

I particularly like the way he portrayed the Faustian duality with the battling registers of the keyboard. Alkan was scornfully dismissed as a composer who only wrote pieces imbued with melancholy. I believe there are a lot of joyous works, maybe some more creative and inquisitive but his music is full of humor. In the opening movement of Op. 33 the D major passage lands on an awkward Bb and is marked "ridente" - laughing. A man of 20 years was quick but prone to falling over his over feet! :)

[Lukecash12]

It's not as if every piece needs to be caught in a depthless optimism, anyways. This piece seems very pointed at human nature itself, and human nature isn't always the most becoming of things. I also adore his humor. It isn't exactly a dirty joke, but it's a well pointed statement that to truly live and love, it isn't healthy to take your own self so seriously.

[KeithWhalen11]

In spite of Ronald Smith's opinion you mean Lukacash12, everything in the info is courtesy of an Alkan biography. I agree with your assessment though, Goethe's Faust does deal with many human traits.

[Lukecash12]

I am rather humbled by your frankness, and lack of reluctance in coming to an apology. Thank you for the wonderful videos you contribute :)

[KeithWhalen11]

You're very welcome. I'm not a youtube flamer! I come here for great music and videos. I will be uploading some more Alkan and maybe the Henselt etudes in the next couple of days. I just hope I don't get into any trouble for uploading so much, but seeing as how the entire Opus Clavicembalisticum has made its way onto youtube, considering the protection Sorabji receives from the archive, I'm sure I'll be alright. Once again I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, no can claim musical superiority.

[Lukecash12]

That was a reply to Otterhouse, my friend. You had me confused for a minute. I was musing over how long it actually took to write, taking into account that Alkan may have been as much a prodigy as Mozart. Upon that premise i was extrapolating that however intelligent Alkan was, this is undoubtedly a work that developed over a long period of time.

[KeithWhalen11]

Now I'm entirely confused haha! Agreed, he dedicated the Sonata to his father and probably spent a great deal of time on it. He published it in 1847 I believe, a few years before Liszt completed his B minor sonata. I slightly prefer the Alkan, it has a lot of character, Liszt's sonata is incredible nonetheless.

[Hervinbalfour]

I also prefer the Alkan. As someone said it is truly an epic work. If you haven't heard it already please check out Reubke Piano Sonata in B flat minor. He was on Liszt Students and it runs neck and I also prefer that to Liszt as well.

[KeithWhalen11]

The Reubke piano sonata is incredible! Actually finding the Reubke sonata on youtube was great considering it led me to Hexameron's page. I am completely blown away by Lyatoshynsky and Feinberg! Check that page out!

[Lukecash12]

I have to agree that comparing the two is very much like tasting an apple and an orange(it tastes kind of strange to eat the two in succession actually, you should give it a try). Liszt is far more romantic per se maybe in the sense of intimacy or even rather that his key changes take an entirely different direction in tonality and also mood.

[KeithWhalen11]

I'm allergic to apples, I would have given it a shot!

Would the apple represent Romanticism? :)

I may be slightly erratic, perhaps this explains my bond with Alkan. His pieces fly under the radar when compared with Liszt but they have a unique language. Liszt is without a doubt the quintessential piano virtuoso, but Alkan plays an important role in the history of composer-pianists. His minor key etudes are a force to be reckoned with!

[Lukecash12]

Liszt seemed more to put an identity(uniqueness) on musing with his charm(not to detract from them being any less genuine), and Alkan dispensed no pleasantries, however much he loved his audiences and obviously needed them :)

[Lukecash12]

I wouldn't say that this is savagely sadistic, in spite of Keith Whalen's opinion. It is rather characteristic of the human condition.

[regiear1991]

The rising chords at 4:50 are so epic. As a matter of fact, this whole sonata is epic.

[otterhouse]

Wow... How much time did Hamelin spend on this...

-----------------------------

Rolf, Netherlands.

I am a collector of classical 78's and lp's

Click "otterhouse" above to see (and hear!)

some of my collection.

(Gioconda de Vito, Berl Senofsky, Vlado Perlemuter,

Carl Schuricht, Gina Bachauer etc)

[Lukecash12]

From the sound of it, it most definitely took more than ten minutes. Even Mozart, who wrote two pieces in a parlor on the spot, couldn't have written this in a minimal time frame.

[KeithWhalen11]

He obviously couldn't have considering Mozart would have probably lost his position for writing a sonata in this form. Typically you would write a sonata in ABA, with an exposition, development and a recapitulation. The premise of this sonata is the life of man, each movement is slower than the last and Alkan employ's progressive tonality changes throughout the movements to enhance the effects. It's a masterpiece, I think you should look into Alkan a little further.

[Lukecash12]

Trust me, i have assuredly looked very far into Alkan and plan to continue doing so. But, i cannot help but endear the apparent fact that you appreciate this art.

[KeithWhalen11]

Yeah, I apologize Luke. Your sarcastic reply towards Otterhouse was misinterpreted. I felt the lump in my throat when I had a look at your page and saw your list of influences! Anyways, glad to have that cleared up. I'm a music enthusiast like yourself, Alkan is one of my favorites for sure.

[mickyj300x]

Could you post 40 ans please? I can't find it anywhere.

[manonsky]

hamelin is my hero, but he is to perfet to be a human :) daoes any one seen the piano concerto of busoni??? :O, he is not human.

GOD SAVE HAMELIN!!!

[TheGoDaimeTsunade]

It's beethoven right?

[John11inch]

Just shut up, seriously. If you're going to fellate Hamelin, please do it in privacy so others don't have to be so disgusted :x

[KeithWhalen11]

Hahaha, I'm guessing you're not a fan of his playing? I'm more of an Alkan fan than I am of any one interpreter. I could have easily posted the Ronald Smith version, but I can't get into the music as much because he seems to have some difficulties with the piece.

[John11inch]

No, I like Hamelin. His comments just make me puke.

[Hexameron]

You mean videos of other pianists who struggle to the hit the right notes and play at an appropriately fast tempo?

[mvs1312]

simply stunning

[pinkdiamond82]

thanks fort the detailed info of this video.

[KeithWhalen11]

Well, it took a bit of patience to write it all down but it comes from the excellent book written by Ronald Smith. There are great musical examples too but there's no way to share them with you guys, I suggest buying it if you would like to know more about the composer.