Alkan: 11 Pièces dans le style religieux, Op. 72, Étude Alla-Barbaro

Featuring

Mark Viner
Charles Valentin Alkan

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Compositional Technique

The '11 Pièces dans le style religieux' were conceived for organ, harmonium, or piano, and this recording marks their first presentation on piano.

Composer Biography

Alkan was a close friend of Frédéric Chopin and was rumored to be the only pianist before whom Franz Liszt felt uneasy to perform.

Composition History

The 'Etude Alla-Barbaro' was discovered in 1995 by pianist Marc-André Hamelin in the archive of Raymond Lewenthal, with no prior catalogue listing.

Album & Artwork

This album is part of Mark Viner's ongoing project to record the complete piano music of Alkan, which is expected to span 18 albums.

Composer Biography

Charles-Valentin Alkan, born in 1813, was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire at age six and won numerous prizes, including first prize in piano in 1824.

Performer Biography

Mark Viner, the pianist on this album, won 1st prize at the Alkan-Zimmerman International Piano Competition in Athens, Greece in 2012.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Alkan's '11 Pièces dans le style religieux' are not necessarily religious in character, but rather explore philosophical messages through dialogue between contrasting musical ideas.