Alkan Concerto Live

[furtwaengler]

On Tuesday March 18, 2014 I ended a colossal recital program with Charles-Valentin Alkan's largest work, the Concerto from the op. 39 etudes. This really started when Orangesodaking put together an Alkan E-recital on Piano world as a 200th birthday celebration. For that I recorded the Allelujah and the Concerto, which is etudes no. 8, no. 9, and no. 10 from op. 39. That was one straight (rough) run of the concerto in a practice room with the Allelujah and a replacement take of the 2nd movement recorded two days later at friends house.

I then brought it to the stage in an experimental recital the week after spring break and just before crunch time at the university which allows me on as a staff accompanist. The experiment was seeing what I and my audience could take...two hours of impossible music, all of which I'd never played publicly before. Although I may have come short in many ways, I was very happy with the audience's uniformly positive response which was more than applause and compliments. I could feel a strong energy coming my way all night, and especially as if they were running with me and holding me up as I was struggling to keep control at the end. It was special to give to a warm crowd of people I love and who love me.

Ah well, playing this piece on stage I had an attitude like David charging headlong towards Goliath...only the outer self really did charge several lengths ahead of the inner self to where the inner could not catch up to tackle the outer, lol.

Lossless FLAC file here: https://www.mediafire.com/?jqnp6ip6iube300
320k mp3 here: https://app.box.com/s/r8rarchd9fcqcnxylwzs
Lossy mp3 attached,

And a shirt made for me as a gift when I was in Africa:



Enjoy!

[ronde_des_sylphes]

Congratulations on getting through this beast of a piece comparatively unscathed! Yes, there are some loose moments, but it sounds like adrenaline got you through them, and you don't lose momentum even things get (extremely) difficult. Some good poetic playing in the quieter sections too.

Did you play from memory? It's technically, physically and mentally challenging enough even from the score. In any case, congratulations again on having successfully performed one of the very hardest things there is in 19th century repertoire.

[faulty_damper]

Technical issues really needed to be resolved.  Musical issues abound.  Even simple melodies should have been legato.

[liszt1022]

Technical issues really needed to be resolved.  Musical issues abound.  Even simple melodies should have been legato.

Look who's on a roll!

[pianoman53]

And all of his advice are obviously very vague and extremely critical, in a way that only great musicians can!

[furtwaengler]

Faulty thanks

I fixed the picture. By the skin of my teethe it was memorized.

[pianist1976]

Bravo, bravo, bravissimo!!!! Dear Dave, congrats for such a big feat. I listened to the entire recording and I'd wish to be among that enthusiastic and delighted the audience. You played a monumental work (in every sense) and you did very well.

Please, excuse me my impressions, but I have the sensation that you were growing yourself as the piece advanced and gaining confidence.

I think you did great things, and there are some simply amazing moments.

But there are places that are a bit rushed, above all at the beginning, maybe for the excitement of playing in public, for the first time a mammoth work like this, and that's a pity because with a bit more of control it would be a superb performance.

I look forward to listen a second version of this.

Many congratulations for such a splendid work, David. You deserve it!

BTW: I like your shirt 

[furtwaengler]

Thanks a lot pianist1976. I think I Ogdon-ed myself in this performance (referring to the legendary John Ogdon, who could be amazing, but than could take off on a dime). My mind could not catch my body once it got going and I kind of approached some of the places I knew I didn't have squared away with a close your eyes and run mentality. If I get another chance (or more chances) to play it publicly I'll think towards relaxing a bit, lol.

Thanks for all your encouragement!

[cabbynum]

Some of the rushing I actually thanked worked. Other rushing I wasn't the biggest fan of. But the piano "entrance" has a certain character to it when played at this tempo. I like that character a lot.
Fantastic Job!
I count myself lucky for being an audience member that night! 

Congrats again! You really put on a fantastic performance! Well done!

[furtwaengler]

Thanks cabby on the front row!

[furtwaengler]

I just realized I can justify everything by saying my orchestra was not that good, lol.

[cabbynum]

I just realized I can justify everything by saying my orchestra was not that good, lol.

HaHa!


Also just a quick  note.

I had to get there early to get that front row spot!

[demimondegirl]

Wonderful!

[furtwaengler]

Wonderful!

Thanks! Also wonderful is I am now reading your etude

[johnmar78]

Look who's on a roll!

I saw your image,,that was so funny. And for Furtwaegler, I enjoyed your performace, especially the middle part.

[furtwaengler]

Thanks Johnny. I too feel like the development turned out best. It's hard keeping everything together in a piece like that (not to mention a recital like that!), and I didn't even get to visit that section the week before, but when I had one section I could practice a couple hours before the recital, I chose that one, and you can tell it in the performance.

As for the picture revealing faulty_damper's being on a roll...I'll have to say, no matter what you think of the advice, it takes time and effort to listen to so many recordings and comment on them. I admittedly do not get around to so many other recordings in the audition room, but pick and choose based on time and interest, and then I don't always get around to commenting on what I've heard - It is what I want when I share recordings, of course...and here is someone taking the time to not only listen, but comment on all these recordings? That's down right commendable I think.

[faulty_damper]

The biggest difficulty of this piece is getting the piano's tone to sound like a full orchestra.  You must think orchestrally both in timbre and fullness of tone.

For example:
The opening chords are marked "quasi-trombe" - it should sound like the brass section of the orchestra.  In order to get the nasally sound of the brass, accent the inner voices slightly and pedal.

The second movement starts with the "quasi-celli" so each note should be pedaled to get a fuller sound of the strings section. Use pedal vibrato to help imitate the vibrato of the strings.

Many places have inner voices that are not indicated in the score.  If these are brought out, it will provide much more melodic texture.


There is one issue that I haven't been able to resolve even after all these years: how to make the piano sound like the piano part.  Should it be slightly percussive (non-legato) to make it tonally different from the orchestra, or should it be played the way you interpret Chopin so legato is legato?  Because in the work, legato would be used to imitate the strings but if the piano is played the same way, the piano part may be mistaken for the strings.

[furtwaengler]

There is one issue that I haven't been able to resolve even after all these years: how to make the piano sound like the piano part.  Should it be slightly percussive (non-legato) to make it tonally different from the orchestra, or should it be played the way you interpret Chopin so legato is legato?  Because in the work, legato would be used to imitate the strings but if the piano is played the same way, the piano part may be mistaken for the strings.

I don't know if I agree with all of the choices he makes in this regard (because there are passages I translate as being piano that he translates as piano and orchestra), but by far the most successful handling of all the orchestral sounds and distinctions are in the recordings of Ronald Smith. I did try to adopt a few of these ideas, and would be better to do more if I have an opportunity in the future, but main thing I got caught in here was adrenalin and muscling through it in a charging, war like fashion.

IIRC I did not pedal either the opening of the 1st mov or only lightly pedaled the opening of the second. I was going for a more biting, snarling brass sound according to Alkan's accents on the 1st, and looking for clarity on the second. Again, Ronald Smith does such a wonderful job imitating a pizzacato effect underneath the piano entrance, and I didn't even try to match him, because I had trouble with consistency.

[faulty_damper]

You didn't pedal the brass section.  It sounded like a piano playing staccato chords.

I agree that Smith was best able to capture the sound of the orchestra.  What he did, that no other pianist has done, was play the inner voices louder than the right hand so that it almost engulfed the right hand melodies.  This made the sound much more full, more orchestral.

[furtwaengler]

You didn't pedal the brass section.  It sounded like a piano playing staccato chords.

I know! I meant lightly pedaled 2nd mov (actually I can't remember, lol). Trust me, it's a piano. It will sound like a piano. 

[rachfan]

Hi Dave,

Bravissimo!  I'm astounded by your ability to learn, play and memorize this huge, very difficult score.  It's an extraordinary performance.  Congrats!

David

[emill]

Hello DAVE!!!

I am most SURPRISED and never expected anyone to bravely attempt this piece here for the sheer size of it and also its complexity.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

There were beautiful and ageless moments especially in the slower and more lyrical portions .... although I felt in a few portions you got carried away and just tore into it!!!!      Overall I would have loved to be in the audience. Congratulations again!!