Alkan's "masterpiece within a masterpiece": Le Festin d'Esope

[liszt-and-the-galops]

This is a bit of a departure from the usual style of these threads, but I believe that the finale of Alkan's magnum opus deserves a thread of its own.

So, what's your favorite variation/group of variations within this incredible piece?
Personally I believe that they're all amazing, but the sequence from variations IX to XVIII (2:34-5:21 in the video) is just downright incredible.

What do you guys think?

[perfect_pitch]

I'm a HUGE Jack Gibbons fan, and I remember seeing his Allegro Barbaro performance over a decade and still to this day am FLOORED by the fact that he plays that, and the Festin d'Esope seemingly without breaking a sweat.

I don't use the term Legendary a lot... Pollini would be one of the only people I'd classify as Legendary...

Jack Gibbons is the 2nd person. I personally think his performance is truly the best... maybe a tie with Marc-Andre Hamelin... maybe.

[pianoplayjl]

It's a charming piece! I particularly liked Bernard Ringeissen's performance. Variations XIV and XV made an impression on me when I first heard it. Variation XXII certainly is evocative of a dog's bark. And last but not least of all the coda, where the crescendo of chords build to a dramatic climax followed by a few quiet chords, before an emphatic  ff concludes the piece.

[symphonicdance]

This work can easily get audience's attention from the very beginning to the end.

When I learned this work, I made reference mostly to the playing of Marc-André Hamelin, Vincenzo Maltempo and Yeol Eum Son.

[lelle]

When I was a teenager I thought this was the coolest thing ever. It's definitely something that can catch an audiences attention, since the theme is memorable and the virtuosic fireworks impressive.

[cuberdrift]

This is a bit of a departure from the usual style of these threads, but I believe that the finale of Alkan's magnum opus deserves a thread of its own.

So, what's your favorite variation/group of variations within this incredible piece?
Personally I believe that they're all amazing, but the sequence from variations IX to XVIII (2:34-5:21 in the video) is just downright incredible.

What do you guys think?

Some thoughts.

I can see why Alkan remained a relatively obscure figure during his time. So much technique, but no easily discernible melody. It also doesn't have the in-your-face bravura that other composers at the time mastered, like Liszt, Herz, and Thalberg.

Still, I guess the lasting appeal of this fellow is found in the depth of his work. I suppose it has that quality which rewards the listener after repeated hearings (something which was not a luxury people at the time could afford, and the added fact of the difficulty of his work meant that amateurs could not approach them and thus basically had no access to the music at all with the absence of recordings).

I remember reading somewhere that Cziffra was familiar with some Alkan - his name was what came to my mind during Variation XIX (5:20 in the video). One can only imagine how the master of interlocking octaves would breeze through that section with the flash and speed of lightning.

It's a pity that the Youtube algorithm won't help spread this video, which is the only decent Alkan compilation I know from the site:

The uploader put an effort to include his chamber works, which in my opinion are sorely underrated.

My favorite Alkan player is Yui Morishita. His performance of Le chemin de fer, I found to be stellar. He has that in-your-face adventurousness which I deem fit for the genre.

[dizzyfingers]

This is a bit of a departure from the usual style of these threads, but I believe that the finale of Alkan's magnum opus deserves a thread of its own.
So, what's your favorite variation/group of variations within this incredible piece?
Personally I believe that they're all amazing, but the sequence from variations IX to XVIII (2:34-5:21 in the video) is just downright incredible.
What do you guys think?

Fascinating piece.  Very listenable and entertaining.  Great concert piece.  I like how the variations are short.  Many of them have a tossed off quality, and I believe I'm hearing quite a bit of humor.  They remind a bit of Rage Over a Lost Penny variations.  The harmonic sequences seem Beethovan-based as well with some contemporary (to 1857) innovations and twists.  I'd say my favorite variation is the last.

I'm intrigued how this exceptionally accomplished pianist, Jack Gibbons, appears to be recording in his home, wearing blue jeans and an old comfy shirt.  The video quality seems professional though, for 1995.

[perfect_pitch]

I'm intrigued how this exceptionally accomplished pianist, Jack Gibbons, appears to be recording in his home, wearing blue jeans and an old comfy shirt.  The video quality seems professional though, for 1995.

Many people record in their own homes - best place for it. A couple of cameras, some nice lighting and performable clothes. I do it all the time: