the story about alkan

[Skeptopotamus]

isnt there some sort of story between alkan and liszt?  if so, what is it?

[SDL]

I did a M.A dissertation on Alkan's Piano music 10 yrs ago, having listened to and inspired by Raymond Lewenthal's performance of Le Festin D'Esope and Grande Sonata (3rd movt), and based most of my thesis on these pieces.

My memory tells me that Liszt once mentioned that Alkan was a better viruoso than himself, and that some of Alkan's music was even too difficult for him to play.  Alkan wasn't a popular figure in 19th Paris although he had at first a very promising concert career; in his 20's audiences responded very favourably to him.  But then a series of events happened which stopped his flow of success - among them the French Revolution.  The themes/culture surrounding music at this time was moving into the realms of superstition, supernatural, fantasy, fin-de siecle (frankenstein), and found his music too "old fashioned".  Although his structures are very rooted in the old music of the Baroque period his extrordinary musical writing is ahead of its time.

I dont know of any other stories though on Liszt and Alkan.  Chopin was Alkan's closest friend.

Rant over..!

[faulty_damper]

Both Chopin et Alkan criticized Liszt's flambouyant lifestyle.

[Hmoll]

  But then a series of events happened which stopped his flow of success - among them the French Revolution. 

Wasn't Alkan born in 1813 - after the end of the French Revolution?

[pseudopianist]

I did a M.A dissertation on Alkan's Piano music 10 yrs ago, having listened to and inspired by Raymond Lewenthal's performance of Le Festin D'Esope and Grande Sonata (3rd movt), and based most of my thesis on these pieces.

My memory tells me that Liszt once mentioned that Alkan was a better viruoso than himself, and that some of Alkan's music was even too difficult for him to play.  Alkan wasn't a popular figure in 19th Paris although he had at first a very promising concert career; in his 20's audiences responded very favourably to him.  But then a series of events happened which stopped his flow of success - among them the French Revolution.  The themes/culture surrounding music at this time was moving into the realms of superstition, supernatural, fantasy, fin-de siecle (frankenstein), and found his music too "old fashioned".  Although his structures are very rooted in the old music of the Baroque period his extrordinary musical writing is ahead of its time.

I dont know of any other stories though on Liszt and Alkan.  Chopin was Alkan's closest friend.

Rant over..!

I heard somewhere that Chopin was really that found of jews?

[chromatickler]

Raymond Lewenthal's performance of Le Festin D'Esope and Grande Sonata (3rd movt)

I believe lewenthal only recorded the 2nd mvmt

[presto agitato]

My memory tells me that Liszt once mentioned that Alkan was a better viruoso than himself, and that some of Alkan's music was even too difficult for him to play. 

 

What i have read is that Alkan believed that no one in the world was as good as him, but when he saw Franz Liszt playing and improvising he fell into a severe depression.

As far as know Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg were the best pianists of the 19th century.

[Daevren]

I also heard stories about Alkan being better than liszt. I guess they were both intimidating the other with technique.

Alkan seems to have been a shy strange person. Just like Chopin he didn't like to perform. There are some very excentric stories about Alkan. I am not sure I know them in enough detail to tell them well. I should read his biography.

[SDL]

When I did my thesis, vitually nothing was written about him which made resources difficult.  Now (thankfully) he's more recognised as genius.  Just look at his solo concerto for piano (e.g 3rd mov).  This was unheard of at the time, and you can clearly recognise the tutti & solo sections working really well together (concerto) - quite an amazing feat and shows his mastery.  Also there are some quite Jazzy chords in this: there is a L.H 8ve part that is interspersed with full orchestral like "jazz" chords (R.H 5 note chords) ... (btw I always think the LH sounds like the bass part in Curiosity killed the cat "Lessons in Love").

Ive looked at alot of his major piano works.  Ive looked at Liszt, Chopin etc..Ive not seen anything as hard for its time (technically).  Have you seen Le Festin D'Esope, Grand Sonate, Solo Concerto, Symphony for piano?  Alot of the difficulty is the velocity in which you have to play Alkan (strict tempo markings - 100 means 100 no less!!) and often this involves big consecutive chords at lightning speeds.  Not everyone can even stretch this music at these speeds. 

[BoliverAllmon]

When I did my thesis, vitually nothing was written about him which made resources difficult.  Now (thankfully) he's more recognised as genius.  Just look at his solo concerto for piano (e.g 3rd mov).  This was unheard of at the time, and you can clearly recognise the tutti & solo sections working really well together (concerto) - quite an amazing feat and shows his mastery.  Also there are some quite Jazzy chords in this: there is a L.H 8ve part that is interspersed with full orchestral like "jazz" chords (R.H 5 note chords) ... (btw I always think the LH sounds like the bass part in Curiosity killed the cat "Lessons in Love").

Ive looked at alot of his major piano works.  Ive looked at Liszt, Chopin etc..Ive not seen anything as hard for its time (technically).  Have you seen Le Festin D'Esope, Grand Sonate, Solo Concerto, Symphony for piano?  Alot of the difficulty is the velocity in which you have to play Alkan (strict tempo markings - 100 means 100 no less!!) and often this involves big consecutive chords at lightning speeds.  Not everyone can even stretch this music at these speeds. 

what I enjoy about music is that it really is orchestral. What I mean is that the brain isn't computing each individual note, instead it is computing phrases that is what makes his music so good at extremely fast speeds. Chopin and Liszt on the other hand have wonderful melodies and at super speeds the brain just doesn't compute each individual note any more and the piece becomes noise.

boliver

[brewtality]

What i have read is that Alkan believed that no one in the world was as good as him, but when he saw Franz Liszt playing and improvising he fell into a severe depression.

As far as know Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg were the best pianists of the 19th century.

That seems apocryphal to me. Shonberg mentioned Alkan's failure to be appointed as head of piano at the paris conservatory as the catalyst for his withdrawal from society.

[volodya]

All I have heard is that Liszt is said to have respected him. On a side note I do know that him and Chopin were close and that when Chopin died he took his students.