Alkan - Le Festin d'Esope

[lego10123]

FAST!!!

[Rachmaninoffkid]

4:37

Yep. I squinted and then dropped my jaw. Those my friend are hemisemidemiquavars.

[Rachmaninoffkid]

There is nothing like a good piece that only mad geniuses can play.

[ProPianoHamburg]

There is NOTHING like Lewenthal's interpretation of this:

[I can't put in the link to it for some reason, but go to "Raymond Lewenthal talk on Alkan, part 3", posted by alkanliszt.]

[TheKyukun]

Alkan was the first MIDI player in the history

[DonFrankos]

It's that moment after about 1 hour of listening to classical piano music on youtube that I accidentally end up with an Alkan piece and can't help but thinking: 'f*ck'

this is so insanely virtuous and so well put together..I guess I'll end up with 'The Song of the Mad Woman on the Sea Shore' today, and then I'll just stop, and stare at my desk for about an hour or so.

By the way the performing artist must be Chuck Norris, considering the physical effort needed for playing this madness. I love it

[TheKyukun]

00:00

[Gfurs]

Like.

[PhoenixS4444]

@Tibtib220689 your mom :)

[TheMusokestrain]

Could he even play his own compositions?!

[TheMusokestrain]

1:47 Is where only some of the few and greatest pianist could ever achieve, with hard work and dedication.

[DeadRavers]

Alkan is the only composer you could truly lose 40lbs with playing his pieces alone.

[gerardbedecarter]

Thanks for uploading this piece!

[TheWanderingNight]

Oddly enough, this is my favourite interpretation of the 20th variation (5:16-5:32) ...despite, you know, completely ignoring the pedalling.

[TheMusokestrain]

@TheWanderingNight Actually, it is the 19th variation I think

[TBW92]

I feel like if you can play this you could probably play anything

[raisingirl88]

Je l'adore! <3

[ForsakenRainMan527]

3:59 - 4:18 is something like.....a dance with the devil...

[masterofmetallica09]

@ForsakenRainMan527 Still it's something so beautiful only a God could create it!

[ThomasMisson1]

15 people are capable of forming an opinion about music

[SuperMarker1]

My facial expression when listening from 4:39 to 5:17:

=O

[GoToHell987987]

@SuperMarker1 My facical expression when listening from 0:00-9:54 =O

[raisingirl88]

@GoToHell987987 Mine too :)

[AdamKuczynski]

It's funny how I couldn't stand this piece only two years ago (fortunately, my negative comments about it were down-voted and are marked as spam!), but am now a great Alkan enthusiast!

The man was simply put a genius!

[yoframe]

Wonderful comment from @CarlHammett. I write as someone who has never heard this piece before. It's something else!

[pauldotp]

good MUSIC

[kingfire111]

@Simo2009BORO Hamelin has an Ipod?

[teapotextravaganza]

I can imagine this piece breaking a few pianos back in the day..

[Naruya23]

c'est fantastique. j'adore ca!

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

@Coeusful lol

[2hyeok]

the hand tenique you use when playing this song is destroying the eiffel tower

[iMakHugo]

I recall Paganini caprice 24...

[Wayavas1337]

lovely

[f1f1s]

Why the hell, when searching for Alkan's music on YT, I type «Alkan» in the search box and the yielded results are 200k views for some sh!tty DJ Erol Alkan and only 120k views for this milestone of mankind's music thought?! Please, someone assassinate Erol Alkan. That zipity's undeserving of going under Alkan's surname, he's desecrating it with his very blasphemous existance.

He is casting a slur on this noble surname, yet he's unworthy of even the smallest of C.-V. Alkan's slurs!

[ollie3003]

Alkan would do anything to get out a key modulation ;)

[tamegomaith93]

A curious piece. I like it.

[TempodiPiano]

French romanticism is a joke...

[Kalen1457]

@TempodiPiano

Care to elaborate?

[amxmachine]

@Kalen1457 for real

[TempodiPiano]

@Kalen1457 Sorry, may you explain what you mean (I'm French).

[TempodiPiano]

@Kalen1457 Or, French romanticism is a French joke, it may be more understandable in this way. See the irony in the 24th variation or the big declamation of the 25th one. Even the improbable very accretion of all those so different variations ends by sounding funny. This piece is ironical of course but I wonder if all French romanticism is something like a joke. We are modern or classic, not romantic. The romantic ones are Italian, German, Russian; the best French romanticism must be Offenbach.

[amxmachine]

@TempodiPiano just because one piece is ironic does not qualify it as the benchmark for all music. Alkan had plenty of romantic works and many other tones as well. It was the people of France who embraced the romantic music of everyone most and allowed it to flourish in their homeland after the french revolution. This age was called the romantic period because emotions were elevated to and above the status thoughts presided in. this is part of your french history you should know this...

[TempodiPiano]

@amxmachine We must have embraced it for fun and irony may be true for most of Alkan's works, not Berlioz ; unfortunately this one is boring...

[amxmachine]

@TempodiPiano for some reason i believe your head is stuck in your behind. everyone i show this to LOVES it and usually says its mind blowing...

[TempodiPiano]

@amxmachine Désolé, je me suis mis à réfléchir et je t'ai fait chauffer les neurones :-) Plus sérieusement, j'estime que les grandes oeuvres du répertoire, puisqu'Alkan bénéficie d'un regain d'intérêt, méritent au même titre que les autres une approche neutre a priori. La mélomanie sincère doit se préserver de tout snobisme, autant que possible.

[amxmachine]

@TempodiPiano lol

[L4RSLink]

2:21 is magical

[Dante121892]

A food fight was going on from 5:18 to 5:34. Hah!

[ContraereaSerba]

@Dante121892 A food fight or a good fight? xD

[PoesSoul7]

Sensazionale.



[Busoni72]

A difficult, witty and playful piece indeed.

[iloveklavier]

i think, this etude more hard the liszt etude or chopin etude -,-

[IlCOLElI]

@iloveklavier of course liszt and chopin are jokes comparing to alkan and hamelin

[rosten736]

I didn't actually count them but is this some sort of record on the number of variations of a melody in one piece?

[OrangeSodaKing]

@rosten736 Nope, this is 25. Beethoven has 32 variations in C Minor. Plus there are probably composers who did tons and tons more.

[rosten736]

@OrangeSodaKing Yeah and I forgot about his 33 Diabelli variations.

[MusicXofXtheXsoul]

This was the heavy metal of their time...Gotta say...I could mosh to this

[naffanharrison]

so this is what its called! never knew!

[MasterAzunai]

Just pure awesome. This became one of my favorite pieces within seconds of the opening theme.

[F14Lolcat]

XVII = Feux Follets! Very similar, at least...

[Ir0nman86]

you can find free piano sheet music @ sheetsearch . com

[wcibbt]

I just started playing piano this year and I don't know very much about classical music (I'm hearing to practice my sight reading), but isn't that essentially the theme from Rachmaninov piano concerto #3 that I keep hearing?

[JohnEBPiano]

Everytime I think 'That's it, that's the hardest variation' the next one plays and I'm even more blown away. Musically excellent, technically godly. What a composer!

[horekar]

I'd be very happy if I could master this piece some day.

[FreeTheJambon]

It's like a French Liszt

[Tomflakes1]

THUMBS UP IF YOURE PLAYING THIS PIECE!!!!!!!!

(I guess I won't have any likes cause nobody can play this)

[WirmChaos]

@Tomflakes1 Me!

[Tomflakes1]

@WirmChaos I'm about to learn this this summer:d I think many parts aren't that difficult, but there are also loads of variations I can only dream about:d 4:38 for example. How long do you play the piano? are you in conservatory?

[Simo2009BORO]

@Tomflakes1 Hmmmm good luck this piece of music is extremly difficult to play it has a lot of double sharps and acidentals in as well as been jumpy and in places very fast and fidley. It sounds easier than it is to play

[Tomflakes1]

@Simo2009BORO I just learned the first two variantions, It's hard, but I love this music, so let's learn the other 23:d

[Simo2009BORO]

@Tomflakes1 Yeah they are very very easy at the beggining. I too love music and this is very hard. Good luck cause it gets much much harder

[neobiki]

Technique for technique.

[dannyevans89]

How about Liszt sight reading this? :)

[neobiki]

@dannyevans89 Easily, even eyes closed.

[FirstGentleman1]

That was pretty nice.

[CarlHammett]

6:59 to 7:17

VIOLENT HEADBANGING!!!!

[Simo2009BORO]

@CarlHammett its the kind of piece that would be on gods ipod

[Wayavas1337]

@Simo2009BORO lolol god doesnt uses ipod

[Simo2009BORO]

@Wayavas1337 Idc!!

[pianoboypiano]

there always seems to be perverted comments on the most umm "cultural" videos... oh well. the song is great. full of technique... ill be back from the music store in a few :)

[BlueEnigma34]

6:09 to 6:25

hilarious

[Rodintube]

Despite the comments here at YT, Alkan and Chopin were friends (Liszt was his friend too).

[hostrauer]

@Rodintube Not only were Alkan and Chopin good friends (one of Alkan's few, as he become a notorious recluse), but for a period of time they were also next-door neighbors in Paris!

[LousyPianist]

there will be a cure for cancer the day I can play this

[Bulasz]

@LousyPianist Don't be so cruel, the world needs the cure way earlier :]

[horekar]

I hope i'll be able to play this some day:)

[777wallaby777]

3:41 the best part,

[musiciansports]

@777wallaby777 Definitely!!! I have listened to it over and over!!! Those are the best few seconds

[Horowitzer]

Eehm... WOW!!! I just stared at this page for about 5 minutes after it was finished! Flabbergasted!!!

[TheProNinjaz]

Franz Liszt ftw

[ContraereaSerba]

Liszt made 452 accounts to like this

[Bagas]

masturbatory music

[AndrewFinch1]

Chopin would have laughed at all the effort wasted on such a stupid theme.

[FranzLisztian]

@AndrewFinch1

So you are flaming on this video too? Why don't you just listen to your Chopin instead of whining on all Alkan videos about your precious Chopin?

And no, Chopin wouldn't have laughed at this.

[AndrewFinch1]

@FranzLisztian Of course he would have. Chopin never wrote such a pathetic melody in his life. He was incapable of writing anything so stupid.

[Ventiglondalator]

@AndrewFinch1 Actually Chopin respected Alkan's work.

[Vesivian]

@Ventiglondalator Ignore AndrewFinch1, he has been trolling for months.

[AndrewFinch1]

@Ventiglondalator He never said or wrote a word about Alkan's work. He liked to play duets with him. Period.

[WAMEDJO]

@AndrewFinch1

I kinda agree with that

[Simo2009BORO]

@AndrewFinch1 chopin would laugh at you for being such a pathetic worm putting down another composers fabolous efforts. come on then you compose something as good as this and upload it. Until then shut your fucking mouth and just enjoy and apreciate some other good music not composed by chopin. I will look forward to your upload. You need to start in E minor 1 sharp F and sharpened 7th of D so D sharp when needed. There I have started you off. Enjoy!!

[tuomas06]

exquisite, fantastic, genial. this composition is perfect!!! and too way impossible to play it, but great, i like variations.

i can't believe i didn't know before of this composer, there's so much beauty in his music mixed with oddness and a complexity ever imagined

[exelpaperclip123]

3:40 to 4:15 greatest thing I've ever listened to.

[Erikk91]

@exelpaperclip123 Yes, and who's Chopin?

[masterofmetallica09]

@exelpaperclip123 8:19 and so on is also very great. Like if it describes my life!

[Stukov16]

@exelpaperclip123 Paganini's Theme doesn't seem that great now, right? Ha!

[cfwpiano]

UNGODLYYYYY

[Dramsnake]

Tom reageer keer moat

[crunchkinsbigsister]

This Rules!!!

[OverFjell]

I've heard Hamelin's and Gibbons' recording of this, but this is still my favourite :D

[bkgangstapianist]

who is playing in this recording? I would love to see a visual recording for these pieces.

[Tomflakes1]

@bkgangstapianist ist the best recording i've ever heard!

[Erikk91]

@randomnonsense1000 this is infinite times worst thank any piece of Chopin or Liszt. pure technique put in cacophony , sometimes. this has ZERO music

[OverFjell]

@Erikk91 and evidently you have ZERO taste D:, have you got nothing interesting to say? Not even a constructive reason, just that there's no music? I think its highly musical...

[gera1262]

@Erikk91 Please tell me your're trolling.

[atee12321]

@Erikk91 you may think so, but very experienced and knowledgable musicians like Busoni, Hamelin and Ronald Smith would fully disagree with you, as this is merely more unusual music on the whole. You're entitled to your opinion, but don't portray personal opinion as fact..

[domiegga]

@randomnonsense1000 made my day ^^

[koalaswrath]

@randomnonsense1000 Why would you compare a technician to an artist? Ask around about Alkan & most people will answer, Alkan who? Guess why... His circus feats are not worth the effort of learning. You want to play virtuosic music worth the hassle of learning? You have Chopin or Liszt. There's a reason Alkan has remained obscure. Most of his music is just educated noise.

[m4n4k1n]

@koalaswrath i know this could sound like an useless comment but.... PFFFF

[m4n4k1n]

@m4n4k1n a useless* hehe

[koalaswrath]

@m4n4k1n You are like Alkan Too!!!!!! PFFFFF to you to bro. Scherzo Diabolo, Scherzo focoso, Allegro Barbaro and some other piece I wish to hear again... AWESOME. Festin De Escope, Hands Reunited, Le Vent, Pretty Cool. The rest as of yet.... ZZZZZZZZZ......ZZZZZZZZZ...ZZZ­ZZZZZZ...

[m4n4k1n]

@koalaswrath Y you' ve got them right, but what about En Rhythme Molossique, Aime Moi? Le preux and Ouverture are MASTERPIECES.

Plenty of esquisses are little gems. Etudes op.35 3-7-12? Chemin de Fer?

And what about the Nocturne? La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer? The Improvisations in brilliant style?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD HIS VIOLIN SONATA? Siciliano?

And i listed here just some of his greatest compositions....

Just cause you don't feel his music you 're not allowed to say it' s crap.

[addeex1]

@koalaswrath I'm sorry you feel that way

[OverFjell]

@koalaswrath And most of what you type is just uneducated noise.

[koalaswrath]

@OverFjell Wow! You must have really great hearing! How can you possibly hear me typing comments?! And how can you discern my uneducated typing skills just by listening to the tapping of the keys as I type?! You sir or lady are ASTONISHING!!!!! =D

[s900203]

@randomnonsense1000 Such childish comment... Do not speak his name in vain.

[ChopinHellas]

@randomnonsense1000 really stupid comment....10 year old....

These composers,like Alkan Chopin are incomparable....

[randomnonsense1000]

@ChopinHellas

Get a sense of humor, kid.

[ChopinHellas]

@randomnonsense1000 tasteless,kiddo

[randomnonsense1000]

@ChopinHellas No taste, little boy.

[e4e5sf3sf6]

@randomnonsense1000 Chopin is long dead bro..

[vuth94]

@e4e5sf3sf6 THEN IT WAS LISZT!....

[e4e5sf3sf6]

@vuth94 He is also dead mate

[Vesivian]

@randomnonsense1000 Chopin was Alkan's best friend.

[mahler151]

@randomnonsense1000

Chopin and Alkan were good friends, and both were very much influenced by each other. It was Liszt that Alkan didn't get along with.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

@mahler151 it's only a comment to have consense

[TehAuroraWolf]

orgasm of the hand

[TehAuroraWolf]

orgams from the hand

[Vesivian]

hmm this piece seems to revolve around one single tune :( a bit boring when you listen to it for the 100th time

[Sorcerer88]

@Vesivian that's what a theme and variations piece is about, you have a set theme and build lots of variations around it, the essence is how you evolve the theme rhythmically, harmonically, melodically, etc. the melody is often repeated almost unchanged here, true, but what alkan makes out of it is really exciting.

[kedlubajz]

muuah, XIV. and XV. are orgastic!:)

[MrBlueOnyx]

I know that many people will hate me, but this piece shows why Alkan did not become one of the most famous composers of the Romantic Era (he is not even close to Chopin or Liszt). This piece is only a collection of silly variations made upon a silly theme. There is not any great harmonic surprise and all those technical difficulties were already found in many of Czerny's etudes (e.g. op. 740).

[Heilageldur]

@MrBlueOnyx The thing is, though they be no more than silly variations, these variations have a lot more feeling put into it than Czerny's etudes. You are right pointing out that maybe Chopin and Liszt are greater composers, but personally I find Alkan more aesthetically pleasing to listen to, even in light of the absence of a harmonic suprise.

[Diffomega]

@MrBlueOnyx Argument invalid, before refering to feeling when talking about alkan first listen to "le vent" or 35 3

[Hamiltonharty]

@MrBlueOnyx I fully agree with you, Alkan's music in general is entirely lacking in anything special although I disagree that czerny wrote things of equal difficulty to this, it is about as impossibly hard as it sounds. But musically it is essentially worthless, the effort is far better put elsewhere.

[Hamiltonharty]

@MrBlueOnyx I fully agree with you, Alkan's music in general is entirely lacking in anything special although I disagree that czerny wrote things of equal difficulty to this, it is about as impossibly hard as it sounds. But musically it is essentially worthless, the effort is far better put elsewhere.

[seabassthemexican]

found my new favorite composer...........holy shit

[exelpaperclip123]

@seabassthemexican Same here.

[cedricrlongreen]

@seabassthemexican You should hear his Concerto for solo piano it's amazing. Became my favorite piece for piano.

youtube.com/watch?v=5hQ1D-6nZ7­c

[nahedh]

Who played this?

[organgrind]

There is an accidental relationship (probably) between this piece and the 3rd Rachmaninoff piano concerto first movement. That is probably why it seems familiar.

Perhaps most pianistic professionals would regard Alkan as very high investment for relatively low artistic return. It is wonderful that recordings have now been made of so many of his pieces allowing us to further develop our sense of the era in which he lived.

[wcibbt]

@organgrind

I just found your comment after posting an inquiry concerning the way I hearing the Rach 3 in this piece. Do you know if people have questioned whether it was more than a similarity?

[organgrind]

I really don't know, I'm sorry. It seems obvious to me, but even if Rachmaninoff ever heard the piece he may not have been deliberately influenced and as far as I am concerned Rachmaninoff is art at a MUCH higher level. By the way, there is nothing at all wrong though with art for the young and the young at heart. When as a lonely teenager I still had dreams of becoming a virtuoso and attracting lots of nice girls by my wonderful playing it was music like this that I thought of. Pathetic huh?

[OrangeSodaKing]

@organgrind I would guess that Rachmaninoff wasn't super inspired by THIS WORK while composing his third concerto. Regarding Alkan and Rachmaninoff though, Rachmaninoff did perform the Marche Funebre Op. 26 and Comme le Vent Op. 39 No. 1 (HOLY CRAP!!!!!) What I would give to hear recordings of those if he ever made them!!

[CSPlayerDamon]

Guys, isn't this piece famous? I think I've heard it many times before...

[chl91039]

Fantastic~!><

But I think there will be finger pieces all over the piano after playing this...

[chl91039]

Fantastic~!><

[Xcelerate2]

I was so amazed with this and showed it to my dad, and he thought it sounded like a bunch of noise. I'm rather sad :(

[CSPlayerDamon]

@Xcelerate2 Really? Meh..Seems only people with trained ears can appreciate this music..Too bad!

[fedaykin6]

0:00 to 9:54 are my favorite parts.

[muffinsarelife1]

3:41 - 4:18, 4:39 - 5:17, and 8:20 - 8:34 are my favorite parts.

[NoirOrchestre]

Cela mériterait d'être orchestré, si ça n'est pas déjà fait.