Islamey: an Oriental Fantasy
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Islamey: an Oriental Fantasy is a piece of music written by the Russian composer, Mily Balakirev. It is probably his best known piece, and is considered one of the hardest works for solo piano. When he had finished composing it, even Balakirev himself could not play it. The many editions existing have numerous ossias (usually easier alternatives) to passages, because of the immense difficulty of the original. Its technical difficulty made it a favourite with virtuosi such as Franz Liszt and Nikolai Rubinstein (who premiered the piece).
When Maurice Ravel was writing his Gaspard de la Nuit (1908), based on 3 poems by Aloysius Bertrand, he told his disciple Maurice Delage that his goal was to write "pieces of transcendental virtuosity for the piano, more difficult than Balakirev's Islamey." Ricardo Viņes went on to premiere the work.
Islamey was arranged for orchestra by Alfredo Casella shortly before Balakirev's death.
External Links
Piano Society - Balakirev - Islamey (http://www.pianosociety.com/index.php?id=153) - A recording of Balakirev's "Islamey: An Oriental Fantasy" by Paul Wee.