this is a predetermined-to-degenerate topic about Alkan

[Skeptopotamus]

okies.  I called my teacher (i hate him) at 4AM (i love to do this) and asked him if I could play more Alkan instead of Brahms and he said "yeah sure.  play all the Alkan you want just stop calling me you little prick".  So I don't have to do brahms!!!!! yay!

but now i have to choose a new Alkan piece to play.  A large or largish work.  Since my dream is to one day specialize in Alkan I think I wanna dive head-first into one of his major works.  Either Esquisses Op. 63 or Preludes Op. 31.  I already play a few from each; they are both his more accessible and easier works but they are LONG.  I think I wanna get a very firm grip on him before trying any of his really nasty stuff and these two are good.


but which?  Preludes or Esquisses?  Or am I getting beyond myself?

[Skeptopotamus]

heh this will be the first time i learn something without competition in mind =)

[Skeptopotamus]

yikes.  as i review the esquisses i'm finding out they are quite a bit harder than the preludes O.O

[Skeptopotamus]

Hey is it just me or does this thread with only my posts seem to have the visual aspect of a very good geometric brutalist artwork?

[etudes]

you could try the concerto from op.39 and le festin aesop op.39 no.12
my favorite

[tater_tot]

What about the Symphony? That's 25 minutes of murder that should keep you out of trouble for a little while.

[stevie]

he already plays the symphony, and there are alot more esquisses than preludes...

i say, go for the overture op39no11, probably the most underrated piece from op39

[mlsmithz]

(Wow Skepto, you've really declared open war on your new teacher, haven't you? )

How about this for an idea: instead of Op.31 and Op.63, how about Op.33 and Op.61 - the Grande sonate and the Sonatine in A minor?  Or just the Grande sonate?  As long as we're talking about underplayed Alkan (yes, all Alkan is underplayed, but these are underplayed even by his standards), the three non-'Quasi-faust' movements of the Grande sonate all arguably fall under that category.

And as for pieces from Op.39, I must cast my obligatory vote for my favourite from that set, the also underplayed 'En rhythme molossique' in D minor, Op.39 No.2 (one of the four Op.39 etudes Hamelin has not yet recorded).  The coda in which the piece scrambles to get the energy together to go out in a blaze of glory in the major only to expire with three muted chords in the minor is one of my favourite Alkan moments.

[stevie]

ah, ive noticed alkan is getting more recognition and popularity on these board, thats a great thing! 

somewhat ironically, on a whole, i consider the sonatine just as great a work as the grande sonata, and would even go as far as to say i prefer it, though i love them both.

there is also quite alot of alkan that i have never even heard yet, hopefully more people will record complete sets(there is a near complete set on marco-pop though i believe?)

[tolkien]

Learn what you like, just stop nagging us!

Both the Preludes and the Esquisses are excellent, if you can manage them. I don't know if it can get any easier than that for you, I'm afraid. Now, be careful, the least we want is another unmusical whimp butchering Alkan in public! You can do that with Chopin (as quite a few others), thank you very much!

PS. Some of the op.35 etudes might also interest you.

[mlsmithz]

Or even all twelve of the Op.35 etudes - when played at speed with all of the repeats, they take slightly more than an hour (compared to over two hours for the complete Op.39).  With the exception of No.5 in F major, the famed 'Allegro barbaro', they would all qualify as underplayed Alkan (and the Allegro barbaro is great fun besides).  If you can play the Symphony, surely you can tackle most, if not all, of the Op.35 etudes.

[jam8086]

"yeah sure.  play all the Alkan you want just stop calling me you little prick".

He called you a prick?! You had to have made that up.

[Skeptopotamus]

nope.  he did.