Alkan: 12 Etudes, Op. 35

On this CD:

1. Études dans tous les tons mineurs (12), collection of etudes for piano, Op. 39 No 12, Le festin d'Esope
Composed by Charles-Valentin Alkan
Performed by Bernard Ringeissen

2. Études dans tous les tons mineurs (12), collection of etudes for piano, Op. 39 No 3, Scherzo diabolico
Composed by Charles-Valentin Alkan
Performed by Bernard Ringeissen

3. Études dans tous les tons majeurs (12), collection of etudes for piano, Op. 35
Composed by Charles-Valentin Alkan
Performed by Bernard Ringeissen

Tracks:

Etude No.1: Comme Le Vent
Etude No.2: En Rythme Molossique
Etude No.3: Scherzo Diabolico
Etude No.4: Sym-First Movt: Allegro
Etude No.5: Sym-Second Movt: Marche Funebre
Etude No.6: Sym-Third Movt: Menuet
Etude No.7: Sym-Fourth Movt: Finale
Nocturne in B, Op.22
Allegro Barbaro: Etudes, Op.35 No.5
Assez Vivement: Chants, Op.38 No.1
J'etait Endormie, Mais Mon Coeur Veillait: Prlds, Op.31 No.13
Le Staccatissimo: Esquisses, Op.63 No.2
Les Cloches: Esquisses, Op.63 No.4
Les Soupirs: Esquisses, Op.63 No.11
En Songe: Esquisses, Op.63 No.48
Gros Temps: Les Mois, Op.74 1st Ste No.1
Barcarolle: Chants, Op.65 No.6
La Chanson De La Folle Au Bord De La Mer: Prlds, Op.13 No.8
Le Temps Qui N'est Plus: Prlds, Op.31 No.12

Tracks:

Etude No.8: Con-First Movt: Allegro Assai
Etude No.9: Con-Second Movt: Adagio
Etude No.10: Con-Third Movt: Allegretto Alla Barberesca
Etude No.11: Ov
Etude No.12: Le Festin D'Esope

Amazon.com

Alkan's gargatuan Op. 39 Etudes embody a symphony (Etudes 4-7), a solo concertos (Etudes 8-10), an overture (No. 11), and a riotous set of 25 variations depicting the animals of Aesop's fables (No. 12, La festin d'Esope). The music demands boundless technique and stamina, which Jack Gibbons supplies in spades. He dives headfirst into the treacherous writing, letting the chips fall where they may. One can't really top Marc-Andre Hamelin's unflappable proficiency in the concertos, yet Gibbons rougher, leonine demeanor thrusts Alkan's Dionysiac qualities more to the fore. Bet you can't digest this yummy 12-plus course piano feast all in one sitting! --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

The embodiment of FURY.......2004-09-24

Gibbons' occasional technical vulnerabilities give these performances a human edge missing from hamelin's recordings. Alkan's op39 is music the pianist must fight with. Blood and sweat are a must. Its raw fury can be lost when cooly presented (ala Hamelin). The symphony finale oozes raw excitement under Gibbons' hands. Like in a disaster movie, we root for the protagonist and hope he survives through to the end. A most rewarding experience.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Completely over the top!.......2003-08-04

The main differences between this recording and the only other complete recording of the minor key etudes by Ronald Smith are:

1. Superior sound
2. A virtuosity that must be heard to be believed. Gibbons plays fast, Gibbons plays loud, Gibbons plays soft, Gibbons plays all the notes, and all the while Gibbons plays them musically! A truly remarkable performance of some very complex music.

But the recording by Smith has much going for it too. In an ideal world, if you're a fan of Alkan, get both recordings. I've got them both!

Good alternative........2002-11-02

It's a good alternative to Hamelin's recordings. With a really wilder approach!!

(No title)........2000-12-15

Comme Le Vent, Like the wind, is a firey, unrelenting deluge of notes which, if played at Alkan's specified metronome marking, travels at the rate of 160 bars per minute -- 20 densely packed pages in just 4'30," and Gibbons falls unbelievably only 7 seconds short! En Rhythm Molossique and Scherzo Diabolico, both technically wicked compositions, receive commanding and sure-footed performances. The Symphony further demonstates Gibbons proficiency in adherence to tempo and metronome markings inspite of taxing athletic and visceral demands, giving it a great sense of impetus, space, and drive. The Concerto, in his hands, is less classical and crisp than Hamelin's, but more wildly romantic; an extraordinary feat of virtuosity. Le festin d'Esope and Allegro Barbaro in all their fiendish and barbaric virtuosity get very poetic readings, very rare indeed... The more slow pieces all fall within the heartbeat, receiving sensitive, simple, and atmospheric performances... Gibbons is an Alkan interpreter of exceptional authority, and I cannot wait until his next release (of anything). In excellent sound, this very generous two-CD set is a TOP recommendation!

An incredible recording! Gibbons' Alkan is superb!.......1999-09-04

Alkan's Magnum Opus (39) has been seen recorded many times over the past years in part, as well as in whole. Jack Gibbons demonstrates that his interpretation of this monstrously challenging set stands at the very top of the list. Out of the 250+ CDs I own, I would have to say that this is the best. Gibbons' "Comme le Vent" is breathtakingly virtuostic and full of velocity. His "En Rythm Molossique" is a great wall of power and control, his "Scherzo Diabolique", feindish and scary. This recording of the "Symphonie" is fantastic, second only to Lewenthal's. His "Concerto" is very ordered, the finale a dazzling display of pianism (despite the missed note in the final black-key run). The "Ouverture" is the best recorded yet, and shows the true depth of Alkan's creations; I could write a review on just this piece! His "Festin" is a bit slow, but he never overexagerates the tempos. The other pieces added to the first disc ruin one's picture of the all-out-bravura crazed Alkan, replacing it with a sensitive, profound one. This CD is truly incredible. If you have any affection for Art Music whatsoever, this recording is a must have!

Alkan: Piano Music, Volume 1: 12 Etudes, Op. 35

Average customer rating:

Amen - great pieces
Alkan Joins the Pianistic Olympus
Ringeissen puts up a great struggle, Alkan wins in the end

Alkan: Piano Music, Volume 1: 12 Etudes, Op. 35

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Alkan: 12 Études, Op. 39
Alkan: Piano Works; Ronald Smith
Alkan: Grande sonate 'Les quatre âges', Sonatine, Le festin d'Esope
Esquisses Op 63
Alkan: Sonate de Concert; Grand Duo Concertant; Piano Trio

ASIN: B00005NUOR
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Tracks:

Le Festin D'Esope, Op.39 No.12
Scherzo Diabolico, Op.39 No.3
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: I. Etude in A
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: II. Etude in D
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: III. Etude in G
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: IV. Etude in C
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: V. Etude in F (Allegro Barbaro)
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: VI. Etude in B flat
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: VII. Etude in E flat (L'incendie Au Village Voisin)
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: VIII. Etude in A flat
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: IX. Etude in c# (Contrapunctus)
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: X. Etude in G flat (Chant D'amour - Chant De Mort)
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: XI. Etude in B
12 Etudes (Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs), Op.35: XII. Etude in E

Amazon.com

Bernard Ringeissen has the big technique and stylistic empathy to deliver outstanding performances of Alkan's weird and wonderful piano music. His well-received Alkan series on Marco Polo is now being reissued on Naxos, whose budget price makes it an even more desirable acquisition. Ringeissen plays with the energy necessary to make the music come alive. He's no Marc-André Hamelin, whose Alkan recordings are unchallenged, as we can hear in Le Festin d'Esope, which opens the program. But few pianists are in Hamelin's league, and Ringeissen shines in the hourlong Op. 35 Etudes, a dozen pieces exploring the major keys. Some are short studies; others are tone poems for keyboard, such as the 7th Etude, a description of a village fire. The 5th Etude is titled Allegro barbaro, published in 1847, well over half-a-century before Bartok's famous work of the same name, whose tremendous power it anticipates. A well-played program of enduring interest, it's marred only by subpar engineering. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Amen - great pieces.......2006-05-19

Tacky (the guy below me) said just about everything there is to say about this CD but I would like to add one other thing. As well as #7, etudes #10 and #11 are two of the greatest Romantic-era pieces I have ever heard. #10 will leave you stunned, I guarantee it. The ending might disappoint on first hearing, but once the meaning becomes clear, it is as powerful as any. Listen a second and a third time. #11 is the best possible answer to #10, an uplifting but never pretentious piece. Why more pianists don't play these two pieces consecutively in concert baffles me.

A lot of these etudes are great kind of in the same way that Mozart and Haydn are great (although the musical style is very different). Sometimes (the key word is sometimes) the music isn't necessarily the deepest thing you've ever heard, but its compositional prowess and genius and the sense of inspiration is so impressive that you can't help but appreciate the music. Same story here. 7, 10 and 11 stand out for emotional power and depth, but COMPOSITIONALLY just about all of these are masterpieces, in terms of never losing steam, always displaying a constant flow of musical innovation, etc. Far more inspired than most of Liszt's etudes in my opinion.

Alkan Joins the Pianistic Olympus.......2006-04-25

Charles-Valentin Alkan is one of the 19th century's greatest composers for piano. Busoni placed him next to Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. Sorabji described Alkan's music as having Beethovenian quality with Berliozian aesthetics. On his deathbed, Chopin requested his unfinished and unpublished drafts to be given to Alkan. This is a composer who has been respected by the giants of pianism and yet completely relegated to obscurity by the music cognoscenti and the public. This Naxos reissue of a Marco Polo release is one of the top-five essential Alkan recordings, with Hamelin's discography for Hyperion at the top. You will be hard-pressed to find a better performance or a cheaper recording of the Op. 35 anywhere else.

Alkan's Op. 35 Etudes seems like a fusion between the technical aims and musical substance of Chopin's and Liszt's Etudes. Each of Alkan's Etudes possesses not only a wealth of melody, but a high degree of individual expression and a pure Alkanian technical signature. Without a doubt, Chopin's lyricism was Alkan's greatest influence in these Etudes; however, one can surely detect Liszt in the overflowing bravura and knuckle-busting virtuosity. Upon acknowledging the sheer pianistic feats and exceptional quality of music in these Etudes, I'm inclined to believe they supplant those of Hummel, Moscheles, Saint-Saens, and even Henselt.

Consider the third study in G major: it starts off as a lovely harmonically stable Andantino, until an intense rift of drama interrupts and brings forth an infernal torrent of passagework that makes Chopin's Op. 25 No. 11 sound like a mere "Breezy Wind." Then there is the fifth Etude, a jaw-dropping and savage "Allegro barbaro" (no relation to Bartok), utilizing only the white keys. Rhythmically and melodically this is the most satisfying virtuosic Etude of the set, one that reaches astonishing tone colors in the impossibly rapid last section. The next masterstroke that balances technical objective with poetic content is the lengthy seventh Etude, "Fire in the Neighboring Village." This is the first "programme" Etude I'm aware of, narrating and suggesting a story like a symphonic poem. Forget the programme, though, because this music doesn't need it. Rivaling the violence, turbulence and heroism of Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude," this work takes on monumental proportions. Its tranquil first section is tender enough, but the tormented central section gushes forth with Romantic grandeur, brutality and anger. If this outstanding piece isn't evidence enough of the amazing virtues of Alkan's Etudes, I would point to the ninth in C sharp major, the "Contrapunctus," a resplendent quasi-Busonian work of Romantic polyphonic texture and Lisztian timbres. It presages Medtner and Godowsky. While I've failed to mention every Etude in depth, they are all worth an equal amount of commentary. I might add one final remark on the powerfully expressive tenth, though, the "Chant d'amour - Chant de mort." Its arsenal includes Chopinesque beauty and Haydnesque surprise. This surprise is so important that Alkan attached a Latin quote to the Etude: "When you expect light, there comes darkness."

Although this recording is invaluable for the featured Op. 35 Etudes, Bernard Ringeissen has raised his status even higher with the precision and interpretative clairvoyance he exercises in the two Op. 39 Etudes, the great "Le Festin d'Esope" and "Scherzo diabolico." I've heard Jack Gibbons, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Ronald Smith perform the 25 variations of the Op. 39 No. 12, and I must say Ringeissen's execution is by far the most agreeable, demonstrating clarity and dynamics that are lacking in other performances. I find Hamelin's delivery too fast and histrionic; and although Gibbons's interpretation is excellent, there is an extra suavity, rhythmic sensitivity and insight into the melodic lines that only Ringeissen has. For beginners to Alkan, this is definitely one of the best places to start, and the work takes its place in the pantheon of virtuosic Theme and Variations. Lastly, I must say that Ringeissen's rendition of the Scherzo diabolico is another success. He obtains a duality of devilish finesse and muscular attack, making it the best version I've heard.

Bottom line: Whether you're completely new to Alkan (as I was when I first bought this CD) or absolutely familiar with these Etudes, this Naxos release is a treasure trove of 19th century piano music. Alkan's Op. 35 is a vast reservoir of electrically-charged, thrilling, and expressive music. The exceptional quality of this music has convinced me that it ranks in the same group of Etudes as Chopin's, Liszt's, Henselt's and Rachmaninov's.

Ringeissen puts up a great struggle, Alkan wins in the end.......2003-06-18

My own private history gives a good example of the slow recognition of Alkan as a premier romantic piano composer. In 1989, after attending piano recitals for a quarter of a century I had never heard any of Alkan's works in concert or on radio. In that same year, Alkan made his first appearance in the novel "Au Pair" by the Dutch writer Willem Frederik Hermans. One of the novel's characters spent his time devoted to studying Alkan's music, which was described as unconventional and extremely difficult. A decade later, I finally had my first close encounter with Alkan after buying the John Ogdon issue in the great pianist of the 20th century series. Ogdon's performance of Alkan's "Concerto for Piano Solo" was certainly interesting, just like the Busoni concerto, but still has me wondering what really was so great about this pianist.

However, a year later the purchase of Marc-Andre Hamelin's first Hyperion Alkan cd completely changed my Alkan perception. Especially, after getting the scores of the music played, my admiration for both composer and performer knows no bounds. With my hands on all of Hamelin's Alkan, I was more than a little distressed to find out that he has no further plans for Alkan recordings. Le Roy se repose, vive le Roy ! Thus, a venture into alternative performers. Especially, because of their user-friendly budget, I was tickled by this disc and it's billing as volume I (of the complete Alkan catalogue?).

The disc at hand is a reissue of a 1993 recording on Naxos' sister label Marco Polo. The disc starts with Alkan's most popular work Le Festin D'Esope. This work is a real crowd pleasing theme with variations, an important element of Helen DeWitt's great novel "The Last Samurai", that contains stretches that I consider humanly impossible after getting Hamelin's edition of the score from Dover. Even though Ringeissen's technique is a few million light years beyond mine, he remains human and really struggles through some of these diabolical passages.

The rest of the album containes works that I had not heard before. Alkan's 12 studies Opus 35 are a blend between Chopin's Opus 10/25 and Liszt's Etudes d'execution transcendente, matching their technical difficulty without coming close to their compositional level. Yet, just like Saint Saens' etudes, that got the 5-star treatment by Piers Lane, Alkan's Opus 35 deserves more attention than it is currently getting. Both in his custom harmonics and in multi-layered piano writing Alkan really created a universe of his own. This universe is admittedly cruel since it poses technical difficulties that are hardly surmountable for all but the best of pianists.

Unfortunately, Ringeissen doesn't live in the speed demon realm of the likes of Pogorelich, Berezovsky, Luganski, or Sultanov, just to name a few non-Alkan players. Yet, most of the time his playing is more than adequate and enjoyable. Still, Ringeissen often has his hands so full, that many unique aspects of Alkan's music fall between the cracks. While a comparison of le Festin with Hamelin's version shows that Ringeissen does not get enough time to flesh out Alkan's sense of humor, many moments in the studies, where everything seems to be hitting the fan, lack the full romantic sense of heroism and bravura that the music exudes. Yet, while waiting for other pianists to jump the Alkan bandwagon -Pogorelich who is currently playing the even more obscure Martucci would be an obvious choice- Ringeissen's blood, sweat and tears should not remain un-praised.

Tracks:

Le Festin d'Esope, Op.39, No.12
Scherzo Diabolico, Op.39, No.3
I. Etude In A Major
II. Etude In D Major
III. Etude In G Major
Etude In C Major
Etude In F Major(Allegro Barbaro)
Etude In B Flat Major
VII. Etude In E Flat Major (L'incendie Au Village Voisin)
III. Etude In A Flat Major
IX. Etude In C Sharp Major (Contrapunctus)
X. Etude In G Flat Major (Chant D'amour - Chant De Mort)
XI. Etude In B Major
Etude In E Major

Alkan: The Railway and other Piano Works

Average customer rating:

Charles Valentin Alkan: "The Berlioz of piano"
(No title).
Great value for money

Alkan: The Railway and other Piano Works

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
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Esquisses Op 63
Alkan: 12 Études, Op. 39
Alkan: Piano Works; Ronald Smith
Alkan: Sonate de Concert; Grand Duo Concertant; Piano Trio
Alkan: Piano Music, Volume 1: 12 Etudes, Op. 35

ASIN: B00000148O
Release Date: 1995-12-12

Tracks:

No.1: Lentement
No.13: J'etais Endormie, Mais Mon Coeur Veillait...(Cantique Des Cantiques, 5:2), Lentement
No.17: Reve D'amour
No.25: Priere: Lentement
No.1: Andantino
No.3: Vivace
Le Chemin De Fer, Op.27
No.6 In B Flat - Bernard Ringeissen
No. 8 In A Flat - Bernard Ringeissen
No.12 In E Major - Bernard Ringeissen
Marche Funebre: Andantino, Op.39, No.5 - Bernard Ringeissen
No.1: La Vision
No.2: Le Staccatissimo
No.3: Le Legatissimo
No.4: Les Cloches
No.5: Les Inities
No.8: Pseudo-Naivete
No.10: Increpatio
No.13: Ressouvenir
No.16: Fantaisie
No.18: Liedchen
No.21: Morituri Te Salutant
No.32: Minuettino
No.38: Les Bons Souhaits
No.43: Notturnino-Innamorato
No.48: En Songe
Scherzo Diabolico, Op.39, No.3 - Bernard Ringeissen

Customer Reviews:

Charles Valentin Alkan: "The Berlioz of piano".......2006-07-26

The weird creative universe of Alkan, his well marked introspection as well as his febrile activity in which concerns the expressive possibilities of the piano, surrounded him of a sort of mysterious halo.

His introspectiveness exerted on the audiences, caution, veiled admiration and a certain misgiving. His lyricism was not precisely direct. He faded into oblivion until the second half of the XX Century when Roland Smith, John Ogdon, Raymond Lewenthal, Michael Ponti, Bernard Ringeissen and lastly the renowned pianist Marc Andre Hamelin have really worried to make of him a better known composer, and judging by the nourished list of new recordings of Alkan, the result has been pretty fruitful.

This album presents a set of interesting piano pieces, that it would be extremely advisable to take into account, in case you are a true musical archeologist, incessantly active for searching the enormous number of unknown Op. and treasures to find out.

Laurent Martin is solvent pianist with a broad range of sonorities. Ringeissen is besides other untiring pianist always receptive to new sounds.

Iron horse, Op. 27 is perhaps, the most astonishing and original piece of the album, plenty of suggestive sonorities and wild beauty.

(No title)........2000-12-15

This is an excellent, excellent disc. However, the content is only selections duplicated from complete recorded performances previously available (in their entirety) on Marco Polo by Bernard Ringeissen and Laurent Martin... This is an excellent introduction to Alkan, no doubt, and the price is beautiful! However, you may be a little wary after buying this (which is basically a great hits compilation) to go for the more serious stuff available elsewhere... Most likely unnecessary purchases for Alkaholics.

Great value for money.......2000-10-06

I'm not really a great fan of Naxos. I am, however, a great fan of romantic pianists, and since Alkan was one of the and the Naxos recording was the only one I could get...well, I had to buy it! And I'm glad I did. This recording is amazing! First of all, I was amazed by the many aspects in Alkans music, but even more so by the quality of the recording. Ever note stands out and is perfectly clear (well, as clear as can be when it's alkan we are talking about!). The two performers are obviously the right choice for this recording and it's a shame that I haven't heard of them before. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Alkans music, this is $6 well spend...just wait till you hear "The Railway", that is simply amazing, it's a wonder that anyone is actually playing like that! a really good cheap recording like this is hard to find, so do yourself a favour and buy it!

Average customer rating:

Splendid performances !

Piano Works
Alkan , and Ronald Smith
Manufacturer: EMI Classics Imports
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Alkan: Piano Works; Ronald Smith
Alkan: 12 Études, Op. 39
Alkan: Symphony for solo piano

ASIN: B00006YX6V
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

I: Vingt Ans
II: Trente Ans: Quasi-Faust
III: Quarante Ans: Un Heureux Menage
IV: Cinquante Ans: Promethee Enchaine
I: Comme Le Vent (Prestissimamente)
II: En Rythme Molossique (Risoluto)
III: Scherzo Diabolico (Prestissimo)
IV: Le Frestin D'Esope (Allegretto Senza Licenza Quantunque)
La Chanson De La Folle Au Bord De La Mer (Preludes, Op.31)
Allegro Barbaro (12 Etudes Dans Tous Les Tons Majeurs, Op.35)

Tracks:

I: Allegro Vivace
II: Allegramente
III: Scherzo-Minuetto
IV: Tempo Giusto
I: Etude Pour La Main Gauche Seule (Fantaisie)
II: Etude Pour La Main Droite Seule (Introduction, Variations Et Finale)
III: Etude Pour Les Mains Reunies (Mouvement Semblable Et Perpetuel)
I: Mouvement De Valse
II: Moderato (Quasi Minuetto)
III: Prestissimo

Customer Reviews:

Splendid performances !.......2004-07-28

Charels Valentin Alkan (The Berlioz of piano) has been one of the most underapreciated and even unknown composers of the XIX century . Certainly , besides his introspective character and hard temperament , he was a very meticulous composer and made of the piano his prima donna to express a big amount of piano music .
I knew about Alkan in the seventies through the Etudes op. 39 and the scherzo diabolico performed for Michael Ponti .
The Alkan sound in a first impression is extremely weird , but never lacks interest . The melodies are surrounded for mysterious efluvies and inspired moments , and many times the melody is interrupted for fortissimos who move the listener . In many aspects his tonal language demands from you all the possible atention , because it is not easy establish an inmediat rapport .
But , in the other hand there are just a few gifted keyboardist who are capable of playing so difficult score .
The list is very reduced : Raymond Lewenthal , Earl Wild , John Ogdon ,. Mark Hamelin , Ronald Smith , Michael Ponti and Bernard Rigneissen among the most remarkable .
Ronald Smith is a great virtuosi , but also a sensitive performer . He is searching the real intention behind the score and his fingers give the accurate pulse to every piece . When you play Alkan , you must draw the music , due its impresionistic and descriptive character . Due the fact Alkan was a deep thinker and passionate reader , inmersed in spiritual , religious and mythological issues , his music owns this syncretism .
Alkan has been considered as a simple composer of fireworks piano and obviously that 's a mistake . I can accept hat a part of his music can be listed under these terms but not in his majority .
Acquire this CD and make the attempt to get close to this weird music . The challenge runs for you but you will be rewarded .
Fortunately for us , Mark Hamelin one of the top pianists in the world includes Alkan ' s piano music in his personal repertoire . And that 's a good signal .

Average customer rating:

Serving the name of Smith well!

Alkan: Studies for piano, op. 35

Manufacturer: Tall Poppies
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
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Alkan: 12 Études, Op. 39
Alkan: Grande sonate 'Les quatre âges', Sonatine, Le festin d'Esope

ASIN: B000003IZF
Release Date: 1995-12-13

Tracks:

Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 1 In A Major, Allegretto
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 2 In D Major, Allegro
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 3 In G Major, Andantino
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 4 In C Major, Presto
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 5 In F Major, Allegro Barbaro
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 6 In B Flat Major, Allegramente
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: No. 7 In E Flat Major, Adagio, Allegro Moderato. Andante
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: The Fire In The Neighbouring Village No. 8 In A Flat Major, Lento-Appassionato
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: The Fire In The Neighbouring Village, No. 9 In C Sharp Major, Amplement Contrapunctus
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: The Fire In The Neighbouring Village, No. 10 In G Flat Major, Adagio: Amor - Mors
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: Song Of Love - Song Of Death No. 11 In B Major, Posement
Twelve Studies In All The Major Keys, Op. 35: Song Of Love - Song Of Death No. 12 In E Major, Etude de Concert (Technique de octaves), Andando

Customer Reviews:

Serving the name of Smith well!.......2002-08-22

Stephanie McCallum studied with Ronald Smith (the grandfather of the Alkan movement) and has come out with her own Alkan cycle. Her playing of the op.35 (the "first volume" of the Alkan etudes) is absolutly astonishing! She handles the barage of notes with outstanding technique. These etudes are not often heard, save the 5th. Even amoung all those that have record this particular etude (Smith, Gibbons, etc) McCallum's is by far my favorite. She plays it with stunning controll and clairity (a MUST for Alkan playing). Despite their lack of pupularity and the fact that there are less bombasic and dramatic as the op.39, the op.35 still are very charming and inventive pieces. No less original than the op.39, or any of his other opera for that matter. This is a fine companion the Smith's op.39 and it comes with my praise and admiration!

Alkan: Les quatre ages; 4 Etudes, Op. 39; La Chanson de la folle au bord de la mer

Average customer rating:

Alkan: Les quatre ages; 4 Etudes, Op. 39; La Chanson de la folle au bord de la mer

Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005GPZ
Release Date: 1993-11-16

Alkan: Chamber Music & Solo Piano Pieces

Average customer rating:

Famous Pianists
Good stuff for Alkan fanatics

Alkan: Chamber Music & Solo Piano Pieces

Manufacturer: Appian ( Apr )
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Caprices | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004Y6V9
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

Grand Duo Concetant For Violin & Piano, Op. 21: I Assez anime
Grand Duo Concetant For Violin & Piano, Op. 21: II L'Enfer Lentement
Grand Duo Concetant For Violin & Piano, Op. 21: III Finale Aussi vite que possible
Marche funebre, Op. 26
Trio For Piano, Violin & Cello, Op. 30: I Assez Largement
Trio For Piano, Violin & Cello, Op. 30: II Tres vite
Trio For Piano, Violin & Cello, Op. 30: III Lentement
Trio For Piano, Violin & Cello, Op. 30: IV Vite

Tracks:

Douze etudes dans tous les tons majeurs, op. 35: No. 10 Adagio (Chant d'amour - Chant de mort)
Douze etudes dans tous les tons majeurs, op. 35: No. 11 Posement (La partie du milieu ressortnat contamment)
Douze etudes dans tous les tons majeurs, op. 35: No. 12 Andando (Etudes en octaves)
Ler recueil de chants, Op. 38 - 1(Largement, quoique assez vif)
Sonate de concert for cello & piano, Op. 47: I Allegro molto
Sonate de concert for cello & piano, Op. 47: II Alloegrettino
Sonate de concert for cello & piano, Op. 47: III Adagio
Sonate de concert for cello & piano, Op. 47: IV Finale alla saltarela. Prestissimo
Capriccio alla soldatesca, Op. 50 - 1

Customer Reviews:

Famous Pianists.......2003-07-16

Unfortunatelly R Smith is not a good Alkan interpreter,he's a bit cold and dry. If you listen to his playing of Etude N#12 in E major and compare it to Bernard Ringeissen's, the latter is much better.The Naxus cd: The Railway and other piano works is inexpensive and really good. Alkan's chamber music can also be found on Timpani label. Hamelin is definitelly the best Alkan interpreter, it would be great if he ever decided to record all Alkan's work, like Leslie Howard with Liszt. R Smith is famous but just like the mainstream media, which is often off, the most known pianists are not always the best!

Good stuff for Alkan fanatics.......2001-03-21

If you're like me, you grab anything you can find with the name "Charles Valentin Alkan" on it, especially if it promises premiere recordings. There are plenty to be heard on this 2-CD release of (mostly) chamber music by the enigmatic French composer, most of which I haven't seen elsewhere. Of particular interest are the Grand Duo Concertante for Violin and Piano and the Sonata de Concert for Cello and Piano: two large-scale, intensely romantic and rhapsodic works of remarkable imagination. The Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello finds Alkan in a more compact, classically elegant mode. Interspersed are some of Alkan's more characteristic virtuoso piano studies... the Marche Funebre Op. 26 is particularly interesting: a somber and subdued procession surrounding a startlingly lovely bell-like interlude. (Note: the Op. 39 #5 Marche Funebre from the "Symphonie" listed above is an error -- Op. 26 actually appears on this CD.)

The sound quality is very good if a bit distant... I believe the recording was made in a church, so there is lots of resonance. The pianist Ronald Smith, an Alkan expert and champion, navigates the complexities of all of this music with conviction.

While beginners should start with the Symphony or Concerto for Solo Piano, this release is a must for the converted Alkan enthusiast.

Music Review: