Alkan: Concerto for Solo Piano; Troisième recueil de chants
10/27/2023, 9 Tracks, 1:07:37
Featuring
Marc-André Hamelin
Charles Valentin Alkan
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Compositional Technique
To emphasize its concerto form, Alkan's Concerto for solo piano includes 'tutti' and 'solo' passages, contrasting orchestral textures with more lyrical pianistic ones.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Alkan's Troisième recueil de chants Op 65 was inspired by Mendelssohn's Songs without Words, sharing harmonic language, length, and even the key sequence of Mendelssohn's first book.
Composer Biography
Alkan's death in 1888 was caused by a bookcase toppling over as he reached for a book in his Paris home, an event described as one of the most improbable in musical history.
Performer Biography
Marc-André Hamelin, the pianist on this recording, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2003 and a Chevalier de l'Ordre du Québec in 2004.
Composer Biography
Charles-Valentin Alkan, born Charles-Valentin Morhange, dropped his given surname in favor of his father's first name, Alkan, which is equivalent to the English 'John'.
Compositional Technique
The first movement of Alkan's Concerto for solo piano is a colossal 72 pages long, with 1,343 bars, making it longer than Beethoven's entire 'Hammerklavier' sonata.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Alkan's Douze études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op 39, are considered studies in translating orchestral sonorities into pianistic equivalents, according to Alkan champion Ronald Smith.
