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A couple years back I ran across a piece of music by a composer named Charles Valentin Alkan. It was his Concerto for Solo Piano...An epic work to be sure. After working on it, I fell in love with the music and style. I looked up other works of his and am now completely in love with them. Personally I believe his works to be more challenging than even Liszt. I believe he is one of the best of the least known composers. He deserves just as much attention (or more) than Liszt. I was happy to find some big name pianists who are championing him...such as Marc Andre Hamelin. How many of you have heard or played Alkan, and if so, what is your opinion of him?

I love that recording. To be sure, his virtuosic etudes are certainly a step up from much similar trash, including some list. He is, as Strauss said about himself, a first-rate second-rate composer.

Yes, I heard of Alkan a long time ago, especially because of the solo concerto and the symphony for piano solo (which complicates genre categories immensely ).

Alkan is absolutely and totally FANTASTIQUE!!!!!!!!!! [excuse my excitement, please!] His "Concerto For Solo Piano" is an AMAZING work, especially the Second Movement comprising a Funeral March and the Third Movement alternating between a Rakozsky March and a Polonaise!!! My introduction to him were recordings by Pianist Ronald Smith, a EXCELLENT interpreter of Alkan!
If you REEEEEEEALLY want to experience this composer, check out his "Song Of The Madwoman On The Seashore"!!! Talk about an Impressionistic Masterpiece!!! INCREDIBLE STUFF!!!
Thank you,
- El Chupacabra -
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Alkans works are, on the whole, exceptionally virtuosic, even so, there are some wonderfully simple pieces he wrote. Example being the Bacarolle Op.65 no.6. From the more demanding repertoire, yes the symphony for solo piano, also the Allegro Barbaro from the twelve studies in major keys and Le Festin d'Esope, a wonderfully witty and exhausting theme and variations.

Richard Strauss may have thought of himself as a first-rate second-rate composer -- but Ferruccio Busoni thought of Alkan as a first-rate first-rate composer. Around the turn-of-the-century, Busoni published his Complete Works of Franz Liszt series. In the introduction, Busoni wrote that Liszt was one of five great composers of piano music since the death of Beethoven. Besides Liszt, the composers on Busoni's list were Chopin, Schumann, Brahms and Alkan.

For those interested in the music of Alkan, I should note that I have orchestrated Alkan's Symphonie, Ouverture and Le Festin d'Esope -- all three scores and parts are published by Carl Fischer Music, NY. Ronald Smith cited these orchestrations in his book on Alkan. I have also orchestrated Alkan's Concerto, originally for solo piano, now for piano and symphony orchestra; it is published by Noteworthy Musical Editions.

Moreover, I have orchestrated or arranged several smaller works by Alkan -- which are posted on http://www.sibeliusmusic.com. On this website, it is possible to peruse these scores, viewing the musical notation while listening to the music, as realized by digital instruments. To do so, one must first download and install Scorch, Sibelius' music viewing program, available free on the website. My Alkan scores on sibeliusmusic.com include two orchestrations of "La Saltarella" -- the first one for string orchestra with percussion

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php? ... eID=148578

and the second for full symphony orchestra.

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php? ... eID=148447

Another of my Alkan arrangements on sibeliusmusic.com is Comme le vent, for flute quartet and piano.

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/index.php? ... reID=99601

Both of these works require extraordinary virtuosity from the musicians, when performed live. Parts for these arrangements are available from Noteworthy Musical Editions.

Regards,
MS