Hamelin plays Alkan's Concerto Op.39

Credit and original recital vide is from this YouTube channel:
   / @mahliverecordings49  

The best recorded performance of Charles-Valentin Alkan's Concerto for Solo Piano Op.39 No.8-10

One of my favorite composers, Marc-André Hamelin, plays one of my favorite pieces of music ever composed, Charles-Valentin Alkan's Concerto for Solo Piano Op.39. Absolutely magnificent. The concerto has three movements: the first one is about half an hour and the second two are around ten minutes each. It's a very long and extremely virtuostic work. You are basically playing an entire orchestra! And Hamelin plays it flawlessly in this recital.


Alkan composed this concerto as you would normally compose a concerto. You have the orchestra, then the piano, and then they play together. But then he transcribed the rest of the instruments to all be on the piano at once, obviously making it extremely difficult. Huge round of applause for Hamelin and his performance. I just cant stop watching it. He is definitely one of the greatest pianists to ever live.


This was recorded in Tokyo's Casals Hall. Hamelin not only played the Concerto but also played:
Haydn Piano Sonata No.60
8 Godowsky/Chopin Studies
A few other solo works and even his own compositions