Any new recording of Charles-Valentin Alkan is an event, which hopefully widens the public appreciation of this still unknown genius of the French Romantic period. After unsuccessful efforts at a brilliant concert career, Alkan went into reclusion, concentrating on teaching and composing his totally unique oeuvre, mainly written for solo piano. One of the greatest virtuosos of his time (even Liszt was nervous in his presence) he wrote piano music of the most colossal proportions, scope and difficulty. This recording by the young and extraordinarily gifted young Italian, Vincenzo Maltempo, brings together two of Alkan's masterworks: the 'Grande Sonata' “Les Quatre Ages” (in which Alkan musically describes the several stages of Man’s Life, from exuberant youth to tragic old age), and the 'Symphonie pour piano solo', a dramatic four movement work in Classical/Romantic style. As an encore we have the fiendishly difficult 'Etude for two hands unisono', a pianistic tour de force.
Tracklist:
00:00:00 1 Grande sonate \"Les quatre âges\", Op. 33~20 ans: Très vite
00:06:34 2 Grande sonate \"Les quatre âges\", Op. 33~30 ans: Quasi Faust. Assez vite
00:19:16 3 Grande sonate \"Les quatre âges\", Op. 33~40 ans: Un heureux ménage. Lentement
00:32:31 4 Grande sonate \"Les quatre âges\", Op. 33~50 ans: Prométhée enchaîné. Assez lentement
00:41:14 5 Symphonie pour piano solo (Douze études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39 n. 4, 5, 6, 7)~Allegro. Allegro moderato
00:52:05 6 Symphonie pour piano solo (Douze études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39 n. 4, 5, 6, 7)~Marche funèbre. Andantino
00:59:51 7 Symphonie pour piano solo (Douze études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39 n. 4, 5, 6, 7)~Menuet. Tempo di minuetto
01:05:28 8 Symphonie pour piano solo (Douze études dans tous les tons mineurs, Op. 39 n. 4, 5, 6, 7)~Finale. Presto
01:10:07 9 Trois grandes études pour les mains séparées et réunies, Op. 76~Etude n. 3. Mouvement semblable et perpetual
