Biography
Alkan and his four brothers—all of them musicians—took their father’s given name for their own surname. Their parent, Alkan Morhange (1780-1855), ran a Paris music school where he quickly noticed the precocious gifts of his son Charles-Valentin. At five the boy therefore entered the Paris Conservatory of Music. There he pursued studies in composition and piano, giving his first public recital at twelve with a program that mixed his own pieces and works by others. Before turning twenty he made the first of two journeys outside France; the second followed two years afterward, and these remained the sole occasions on which he ever left Paris.
While based in the capital he moved in an elite circle that embraced many of the era’s foremost thinkers and artists. In 1838 he shared a concert with his neighbor and close friend Frederic Chopin, earning enthusiastic notices from both critics and listeners. What followed has never been fully explained, although speculation has been abundant: for the next six years he withdrew from the concert platform altogether. He returned briefly for nearly two years, then vanished again as a public performer for twenty-eight more, resurfacing only after he had passed sixty.
During his lifetime Alkan was ranked alongside Chopin and Lizst for sheer technical command. He also acquired a lasting reputation as an eccentric of the first order. Later he grew fascinated by the pedalier, a pedal board fitted to the piano that allowed complete organ works to be played on the instrument. On this apparatus he liked to perform Bach and produced a substantial body of original music for it. The resulting keyboard compositions demand exceptional facility, reflecting the composer’s own prowess. Few pianists risk presenting these demanding scores in recital, although a handful still use them to exhibit rare technical command. Even today the name Alkan continues to provoke lively discussion among musicians.
While based in the capital he moved in an elite circle that embraced many of the era’s foremost thinkers and artists. In 1838 he shared a concert with his neighbor and close friend Frederic Chopin, earning enthusiastic notices from both critics and listeners. What followed has never been fully explained, although speculation has been abundant: for the next six years he withdrew from the concert platform altogether. He returned briefly for nearly two years, then vanished again as a public performer for twenty-eight more, resurfacing only after he had passed sixty.
During his lifetime Alkan was ranked alongside Chopin and Lizst for sheer technical command. He also acquired a lasting reputation as an eccentric of the first order. Later he grew fascinated by the pedalier, a pedal board fitted to the piano that allowed complete organ works to be played on the instrument. On this apparatus he liked to perform Bach and produced a substantial body of original music for it. The resulting keyboard compositions demand exceptional facility, reflecting the composer’s own prowess. Few pianists risk presenting these demanding scores in recital, although a handful still use them to exhibit rare technical command. Even today the name Alkan continues to provoke lively discussion among musicians.
Albums
Singles
