This piece took me about a month to learn... but about a year of a lot of practice. Its a really fun piece to play

I like it... its so dark, so expressive, sounds a bit like Bach but more expressive. Very good!

Holy Shit dude! Alkan would be so proud, he almost fell of his Book Shelf ;-)

What leaves me absolutely awestruck is not only the performance, but the nonchalance of everyone there. It humors me when you thought you made a mistake-if I could only play that way!!

it looks like his hands are people and have lost balance. theyre trying their best to not fall.

My first introduction to this piece, thanks very much handsome.

I'm a french Alkan's music lover, therefore I prefer to make my comment in french. Vous êtes, Monsieur, un merveilleux interprète de cette étude diabolique, d'une virtuosité telle que la plupart des pianistes mondialement connus n'osent aborder tellement elle est difficile. Oh! combien j'aimerais vous voir et surtout entendre sous vos doigts magiques "Le Festin d'Esope". Si Alkan vous écoute de là où il repose, il doit probablement sourire et jouir de votre superbe interprétation.

I saved this video in my 'Favorites' damn near a decade ago and still play it weekly. A KZfaq gem for sure and I'm glad you decided to share it with us. God speed!

This video never gets old, i like seeing speedy fingers

Wow that is just stunning - I wish I could think of more appropriate word to describe it! The bit after 6.09 is even more stunning! Thanks for putting that on KZfaq

How to make any musician feel jealous and inadequate: Step one: Get musician. Step two: Be seated at keyboard. Step three: Do that.

Actually, I think it's a rondo. And yes, that was insanely incredible playing. Never seen it played before, so thank you so much. You should learn the other two also.

Man, that's AMAZING...

totally wonderful ! thank you for sharing with us !

HOLY SHIT. Amazingly played. I love Alkan's works, and you do them great justice here. An excellent performance. My eyes were wide open and glued to the screen for the whole 6 and a half minutes.

To memorize the notes... less than a week To play it semi-well... a lifetime

You are living inspiration to me!

2022. nice play 14 years ago lol

totally awesome talent !! your video is a joy to watch...thank you for taking time to make it, and post it online !!

great playing and great camerawork!

Bravo for the composer & player!!!

this shit's ridiculous. bravo sir, unbelievable.

Awesome talent!

Incredible! No words, please make new video of this etude!!!

just love how the camera moves back and forth: so intense!! awesome performance. i can only dream...

Wow. Just wow. That's simply incredible. Very seldom does a piano performance leave me slack-jawed. Well done.

Really really well done, this piece is a true war horse and your 90% there. Keep listening and never stop the slow practice. respect

wonderful 9.9/10

wow!!! Very ggod job...I´m amazed...

excellent stuff! congrats on the performance!

"His compositions for solo piano include some of the most difficult ever written, and performers who can master them are few and far between." The fact that he can play it is already, quite, amazing.

Awesome playing!! Great piece! It almost seems like your hands are separate from the rest of you at that point. As a previous poster mentioned... You just PLAY. Great job, great skill! Bravo!!

incredible!

Grande resistenza! Davvero infernale! BRAVO!

good job!

WOW A virtuoso in the making!

Dude! You are my idol! That was just so amazing and impressive and flawless! Thank you for this. And hah! Jack Gibbons commented! Sweeettt :)

@1citycouncil "What leaves me absolutely awestruck is not only the performance, but the nonchalance of everyone there" this tells you about the circles this guy moves in...unreal

Applause, applause! Keep going at Alkan... I always thought he was the last of the great unknowns, ever since I got an LP by Raymond Lewenthal some time in the late 70s. Anyway: Great perfomance!!

amazing!

Alkan goes brrr

I love your piano.

Brilliant.

Astonishing!

really good!

The real virtuoso!

i like the camera view... it looks like a huge piano in an apartment cool!!!

Awesome

wowow watching this makes me want to learn to play piano hohohoho. nice work!

insane^^ good job!!

Thanks!

thanks!

Very nicely done. I had never heard a piece by Alkan; now I will have to check out more of his work. I have long been a fan of the Chopin Etudes (especially the Pollini recording, but who isn't?), so I am glad to finally widen the scope of my Etude interest.

hell yeah do your thing, great job

wow! that was intense!

Super, I didn't know this !

WWOOWW!!

that's gotta be so fun to play!

I think this is really good!

Still coming back to this over a decade later..

damn that´s insane!

I watch this with the sound off. Your technique is beautiful to watch

and a little bit like the second motif in the 1rst movement of the Concerto. Alkan is really immediately identifiable. Unique language.

Alkan would be proud

nice

Virtuambidextriosity!!!

thats awesome isaac. and good job to chris for the pro job recording. i agree with bachliszt^ do the 13th Van Cliburn please :P

The sequencing and repeat structure sound like something J.S. Bach might have written if he were a high romantic composer... And a sadist.

is the best!

3:36 - 3:49 - bravo!! I wish I could maintain both hands as you do!

Agreed- Ocean etude is a beast, to get note perfect. Soon... A video!

Thats a very good etude, meybe Ill learn it! 5 stars.

Well said pianolise!

wow

Holy s**t! Wow

all i have to say is WOW

Wow, that's the most intelligent response I've ever received from anyone. [applause]

me too!!! but i was like oh shit!!! really cool!

i enjoy the casual nature of this video... i mean, there you have some crazy virtuosity, yet there are breaks for conversation and comments, as if this was something natural, normal, something that regular folk just happened to do in their spare time... a very fun, energetic performance, it must have been very enjoyable to learn.

fucking brilliant beyond belief

Never even heard of Alkan. Sounded like a toccata. It was, sort of. At first, I thought somebody improvised upon Chopin's Funeral Sonata's last fast movement, while mainlining coke. Phenomenal playing, Isaac...gotta keep watching y'all.

and it's great you put all that pedal to hide the unevenness. nice trick! it's all banging dude!

I am dazed !!!!

this is insane

wow! nindota oy!

god damn!

Oh My Good !!! gg !!

I'd like to watch Martha playing that!

Christ, that's a monster!

3:00 is such a typical Alkan moment.

you just got subscriber 591! fantastic playing, man!!!

WELL SAID FARSTA!!!!

thats some heavy shit piano shreed man.. congratz!!

Congratulations to the pianist. All the best for his carreer. I do not find much music in Alkan's compositions. They need virtuosos, the market is full of them, maybe one day they are going to be replaced by computer musical execution programmes. A constructive approach in this kind music would be to give to this brilliant, 'show off' score a purpose of existence, find the nuances in it. Thx jpbracey for bringing my attention to this video.

I'm a bit of a newcomer to the Alkan world, so correct me if i'm wrong but that was absolutely incredible!!!!?

Why so slow? lol Actually it's excellent!

this makes beethoven look like amazing grace!

Wow - is this *THE* Jack Gibbons? That's some accolade you've got there Isaac. Both of you - can you put more Alkan on You Tube? You are cool! Thank you

I would LOVE a recording of mazeppa from you

Wow, seriously? Can you post a video of it?