New Alkan piano cd

[Rach3]

New all-Alkan cd from BIS ( Concerto for Solo Piano,Symphony for Solo Piano) played by British junior barrister and pianist Paul Wee, his recording debut. Per the BBC presenter , “technically an amateur pianist” whose cd is “totally astonishing”, per BBC , rave review, also the first recording to pair the two works. Tiny part of the Concerto and BBC’s comments at 2:17:53 here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000bgzz

The BIS cd : https://tinyurl.com/upxgmaf

Per the Gramaphone: “ Alkan’s Op 39 Études are way, way beyond the reach of most pianists, and to the best of my knowledge only five pianists have recorded both the Symphony and the Concerto – Ronald Smith, Jack Gibbons, Stephanie McCallum, Vincenzo Maltempo and Marc-André Hamelin. The performances on this disc equal and sometimes surpass all five. That is astonishing enough; but what is almost incredible is that the soloist Paul Wee is not a professional pianist but a highly successful international commercial London lawyer…It will certainly be one of my Discs of the Year. It could become a classic.”

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/alk ... o-paul-wee

As the BBC presenter wondered, when does Wee find time to sleep ?

[John F]

Whether or not a pianist has recorded both pieces does not show whether he plays them, or can play them. Johnn Ogdon, for example, could doubtless have played the symphony if he wanted to, and maybe he did. On the other hand, three of the five named pianists are unknown to me as they haven't performed here and record mostly for obscure labels. Vinceno Maltempo, by the way, must be one of the least happy names for a musician, like Luisa Malagrida.

[Rach3]

Whether or not a pianist has recorded both pieces does not show whether he plays them, or can play them.

Paul Wee playing the Alkan Concerto live in London,2016. Decent quality video,decent sound for YT,revealing , as would the score, a work not surprisingly even more difficult than sounds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeB6lfvM1Q

While a little Alkan usually goes a long way with me, the Concerto here is great, in part because Wee’s technique permits him to concentrate on the music.Must see TV, 51 minutes.

Vincenzo Maltempo plays the Concerto and Symphony,and rest of Alkan’s Op.39 , live in one recital (!!) here,2013 in Japan. I heard only the Symphony, again great. Decent video, sound, 31 minutes, Symphony at 20:50:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VW2ms-jpCY

Maltempo plays live Alkan’s rarely heard (?) transcription for solo piano of the first movement of Beethoven’s 3rd PC with cadenza by Alkan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv80YNC84lU