Dukas was a perfectionist who destroyed many of his scores, confessing, 'I combine an anarchic spirit with a punctual and meticulous conscience.'
Performer Biography
Vincenzo Maltempo, the pianist on this recording, is highly regarded as an interpreter of Alkan's music and is one of the few pianists to perform all 12 of Alkan's notoriously demanding Etudes dans toutes les tons mineurs Op.39 in a single recital.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded on April 6, 2022, at the Westvest Church in Schiedam, The Netherlands, using a Steinway D piano.
Historical Context
Despite supporting younger composers like Stravinsky, Dukas's own music and teaching were rooted in the classical tradition and a veneration for Wagner, Bach, and Beethoven.
Compositional Technique
The Piano Sonata in E flat minor is considered a French 'Hammerklavier' due to its colossal dimensions, structural complexities, and demanding virtuoso writing.
Composer Biography
Paul Dukas, though known for 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' is not a widely recognized composer, despite being praised by Gabriel Fauré as a 'serious type, gifted with a true philosophical spirit'.
Composition History
Dukas published only 13 compositions in his lifetime due to rigorous self-criticism, which the booklet likens to the 'inner sorcerer' from Goethe's ballad Die Zauberlehrling.
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