Charles-Valentin Alkan, a French composer and virtuoso pianist, is often overlooked in favor of his more famous contemporaries like Chopin and Liszt, despite his unique blend of complexity, innovation, and emotional depth.
Composer Biography
Louise Farrenc was the only woman to hold a respected position as Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatory throughout the 19th century, a role she held for thirty years.
Composer Biography
Louise Farrenc, a French composer, virtuoso pianist, and teacher, studied piano with masters like Ignaz Moscheles and Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and composition with Anton Reicha at the Paris Conservatory.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in 2024 at the Victor Popov Academy of Choral Arts in Moscow, Russia, with Alexander Volkov handling recording and mixing.
Compositional Technique
Alkan's compositions, including his Cello Sonata in E major Op.47, are known for their technical demands and unorthodox structures, attracting both admiration and mystique.
Performer Biography
Marina Tarasova, a renowned Russian cellist, is a winner of International Competitions in Prague, Florence, and Paris, and a laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.
Compositional Technique
Louise Farrenc's Sonata for Cello and Piano Op.46 shows the influence of Beethoven's cello sonatas in its treatment of instruments, especially the piano's extensive use of tremolo, broken octaves, and scale passages.
Rontgen, J.: Cello Sonatas - C Minor / G Minor / B Minor
Rachmaninoff: Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 19, Two Pieces for Cello and Piano Op. 2 & Trio Élégiaque No. 1 - Shalygin: “Tristissima” for Cello and Piano
Paradise Found – Music for Cello and Piano by Bruce Wolosoff
From manuscript to invention - A dialogue between romantic heritage & contemporary creation
