Charles-Valentin Alkan
1. Chant in E major, Op. 38, No. 1
2. Chant in A minor, Op.70, No. 2
3. Chant in F sharp minor, Op. 67, No. 5
4. Aime-moi op. 15, No.1
Reynaldo Hahn
5. Hivernale (Le rossignol éperdu, No. 52)
Déodat de Sévérac
6. Les muletiers devant le Christ de Llivia (Cerdaña, No. 4)
Mel Bonis
7. Ophélie
Jeanne Barbillion
8. Bord de la mer, le soir (Provence I)
E.T.A. Hoffmann
9. Sonata No.2 in F minor, AV27
Fanny Hensel
10. Introduction and Capriccio in B minor
William Alwyn
11. Haze of Noon
William Grant Still
12. Fairy Knoll (from Bells)
William Bolcom
13. Graceful Ghost Rag
Alfredo Napoleão
14. Le rêve (from Trois Romances op. 45)
Federico Longás
15. Un sueño en Granada
Husum 2022 – 6 Petits Concerts “Hommage à Alkan” ©
By Peter Grove
Alkan showed his talent early, entering the Paris Conservatoire at age six. He won the first prize for solfège, a form of vocal musicianship, at 7½, making his first public appearance the same year as a violinist, and later concentrating on the piano. A brilliant career seemed certain, with admirers such as Liszt and Chopin, who was his neighbour in the Square d’Orléans. It was rumoured that the only time Liszt felt nervous performing was when Alkan was in the audience.
Several events interfered with his ambitions. His orchestral symphony of 1844 (the score is lost) remained unperformed. The Grande Sonate published in 1847 had a similar fate, possibly until Ronald Smith played it in London in 1974. Perhaps its length, technical difficulty, and its radical structure, with four successively slower movements in different keys, made it too far ahead of its time.
In 1848 revolution was in the air, beginning in Sicily and followed by insurrections against the monarchies in Paris, Berlin and Vienna. The same year Alkan’s teacher Joseph Zimmerman resigned from his position
as Head of Piano at the Conservatoire. As the outstanding candidate, Alkan seemed to be a shoo-in for his successor. He was supported by several prominent musicians, the Director of the Department for Fine Arts, and Chopin’s companion, the writer known as George Sand (Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin). But to Alkan’s surprise, the position went to Antoine Marmontel, whom he saw as a greatly inferior musician. “I have failed,” he wrote to Sand. Nevertheless, Marmontel had a long and successful career, including Bizet and Debussy among his pupils. He was generous about Alkan in his reminiscences, Les pianistes célèbres, but the disappointment must have been enormous.
RELEASE DATE: August 2022
CATALOGUE NUMBER.: DACOCD 949
EAN: 5709499949009
