Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano [Import]

Charles-Valentin Alkan (Composer), Marc-André Hamelin (Performer), Marc-Andre Hamelin (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Marc-André Hamelin
• Composer: Charles-Valentin Alkan
• Audio CD (July 10, 2001)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B00005JJ3N
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #105,450 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Sym, Op.39 Nos.4-7: Allegro

2. Sym, Op.39 Nos.4-7: Marche Funebre: Andantino

3. Sym, Op.39 Nos.4-7: Menuet

4. Sym, Op.39 Nos.4-7: Finale: Presto

5. Salut, Cendre Du Pauvre!, Op.45

6. Alleluia, Op.25

7. Super Flumina Babylonis, Op.52 (Paraphrase Du Psaume 137)

8. Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux Dans Le Genre Pathetique, Op.25: Aime-moit

9. Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux Dans Le Genre Pathetique, Op.25: Le Vent

10. Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux Dans Le Genre Pathetique, Op.25: Morte

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Alkan's one of music's originals, a relatively neglected composer valued for his highly original, often visionary keyboard works accessible only to the most skilled virtuosos. Marc-André Hamelin certainly fills that bill and almost outdoes himself on this disc, playing with breathtaking virtuosity and imaginative insight. The Symphony for solo piano is just a four-movement work of symphonic scope and color. The opening Allegro is a tightly structured drama, followed by a Mahlerian funeral march, a vigorous scherzo, and a final blistering Presto dispatched by Hamelin with almost supernatural ease. The Symphony was part of an even bigger work, the Opus 39 Études, whose 12 pieces include Alkan's best music. The three brief pieces that follow have strong attractions, deep spirituality prime among them. The final three pieces from his early Opus 15 set exemplify Alkan the Romantic. Again, Hamelin makes light of their technical difficulties, while shaping them sensitively. Notable are Le vent, where the right-hand runs make you hear the whistling wind and Morte, another powerful funeral march. Vivid sound captures Hamelin's nuanced playing, helping to make this disc a must-have for pianophiles. --Dan Davis

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Studies Nos. 4-7 of Op. 39 (12 Etudes dans tous les tons mineurs) make up the Symphonie for solo piano (which lasts 26'06"). It is a more Classically conceived and technically less daunting affair than the monstrous Concerto for solo piano (Nos. 8-10 of the same opus), but the opening Allegro is not for the faint-hearted. Here – and it is the only movement on Hamelin's disc to which this refers – bass figures sound over-resonant and less crisply focused than elsewhere. The music of the Funeral March and Minuet look forward to Bruckner and Mahler, wonderfully characterized by Hamelin, while the finale, with its 'inhuman metronome mark', is indeed 'like a wild ride in hell' (Raymond Lewenthal who, impressive as are Ronald Smith and Jack Gibbons, is the only pianist to rival Hamelin in this work). The Trois morceaux (lasting 29'56"), three studies that are among the earliest of Alkan's published solo music (1837), are indications of the provocative and original voice that was yet to mature fully. The first, entitled 'Aime-moi', with its Chopinesque themes but Alkanesque figurations, requires, according to Ronald Smith 'expertise disproportionate to it effectiveness'. 'Le vent', which follows, was once the only widely known piece by Alkan, a favourite of Harold Bauer whose Duo-Art piano roll is technically proficient but musically wanting. Hamelin turns its pyrotechnical chromatic runs and sombre theme into an atmospheric impressionistic poem. Finally comes 'Morte', perhaps the most extraordinary piece on the disc, its opening pages presaging late Liszt and Ravel's 'Le gibet' – 'a vision of Mussorgskian power and Ives-like daring' (Smith) – as ecstatic as anything Liszt conceived, its final pages stunningly executed by Hamelin, as chilling as they are memorable. Sandwiched between the Symphonie and Op. 15 are three shorter works: Salut, cendre du pauvre! ('Hail, ashes of the poor!'), a touching elegy, the declamatory Alleluia and Super flumina Babylonis, an extraordinarily effective paraphrase of Psalm 137 ('By the rivers of Babylon'). This quite exceptional recording confirms Marc-André Hamelin as the greatest living exponent of Alkan's music (not that his two earlier discs of solo works left much room for doubt). His musicality, temperament and phenomenal technique seem ideally suited to the composer's exacting, quirky, fantastical demands, performances that corroborate Alkan as a visionary genius of the piano on a par with Chopin and Liszt. Hamelin offers spontaneous, inspirational playing in which the architecture of each work, phrasing, astonishing accuracy and articulation, and the use of the full tonal resources of the instrument combine to illuminate these extravagant scores in their full colours as never before. Jeremy Nicholas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Please listen to the OTHER tracks in this CD as well., May 28, 2002

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V. Vo "concert goer" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano (Audio CD)

Even though the highlight of this CD is the Symphony for Solo Piano, I think the supporting tracks are the real reason why I would recommend this CD. They are all titled in very bizarre names, and I'm afraid most listeners would listen to them once and put them away for good. Here's a brief rundown of the supporting tracks:

"Salut, cendre du pauvre" - tough to categorize this work with any other composer. It's not as dramatic as most of the works in this CD. If Beethoven's 6th symphony brought the listener closer to nature, I guess that would be a similar reasoning with this work.

"Alleuia" - short work, the name says it all. The least interesting recording in the CD.

"Super flumina Babylonia" - a very interesting, dramatic work. I somehow find this work similar to a Bach keyboard toccata. It has a very interesting fugue in the middle and I just wished Alkan would've developed it longer considering it goes back to the original slow theme before it really has a chance to take off.

"Aime moi" - This is the highlight of the CD. This work has as much emotional range as any of the great Chopin Ballades. The main theme is one of the most beautiful music that I ever heard. Hamelin really brings a sense of longing to this work. Arthur Rubinstein would've been proud of this recording.

"Le Vent" - Very similar to the effect that Chopin brought to the op. 25 no. 12 etude, also known as the "Ocean Etude." Very interesting, but the main theme doesn't really develop into anything... but neither did Chopin and his work.

"Morte" - Take Chopin's great Polonaise-fantaisie in Aflat-major.... and instead of the dreamlike motif, substitute it with the Dies Irae theme. This is a truly great work and Hamelin does a wonderful job assimilating all the different moments.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Marc-Andre Hamelin does it again!, August 18, 2001

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J. Deon (Nelson, BC Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano (Audio CD)

I knew it was inevitable - Alkan's Symphony for Solo Piano is just Hamelin's repertoire and I pre-ordered this recording as soon as I became aware of its existence. Not surprisingly, this is another classic to add to the Alkan/Hamelin/Hyperion discography.

The only disappointment for me was the fourth movement of the symphony. Not that it's bad or anything, but for me, it just didn't work. I'm usually the last person to complain about Hamelin's well known tendency to make everything sound "too easy", but in this case, it really DOES seem detrimental to the music. I much prefer Gibbons in this movement - he really makes it sound like a ride in hell. Hamelin's lacks some of the passion and drive in the searing Gibbons' account. Hamelin's consistent ultra-clarity and slavery to the beat sort of dullened it for me - and the left hand octaves in the climax section really needed stronger accenting. The first movement however belongs to Hamelin - His performance is more dynamic, intense, and interesting than any other I've heard. Definitive. The second and third movements are both unique and carefully thought out. Everything else on the disc is just as I'd expect from this pianist - standard-setting and definitive. Here's hoping that Hamelin will include at least one of the remaining Op. 39 etudes (Comme le Vent, En Rhythme Molossique, Scherzo Diabolique, and Overture - minus the concerto he's already recorded) on his upcoming encore disc.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The greatest CD I've bought in years, April 24, 2006

By 

Hexameron - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano (Audio CD)

Ask most classical music fans about Charles-Valentin Alkan and they'll most likely have no clue what to say. I always assumed, after seeing his name in various books, that he was either an obscure opera composer or a twentieth century atonal experimenter. This mindset changed when I happened to come across this CD on the Hyperion website. I learned who Alkan really was, and being the Lisztian and Chopinite I am, I bought this instantly without even listening to a sample track. This has been the most fortunate gamble I've ever taken; the other passionate and eloquent reviews here pretty much confirm that I was right to plunge myself into Alkan.

For those new to Alkan, this is probably the best place to start. Although, after my own first hearing of this CD, I immediately ordered every Alkan CD on the Naxos label and found the Op. 35 Etudes an essential showcase for Alkan's unbelievable genius. It's hard to believe that this obscure hermit who lived next to Chopin was composing such original and extraordinary music. A beginner to Alkan's music might sense a fusion between the styles of Chopin and Liszt, with a spice of Schumann and a tinge of Rachmaninov, if that's possible. Alkan possesses all the faculties for creating gorgeous and beautiful melodies; indeed, he holds his own with Chopin in that area. But Alkan's renowned for composing demonic works with monstrous technical passages that stretch the limits of the piano. While this reputation tends to overshadow his musicality and Beethovenian depth of expression, Alkan is frankly successful with writing tour-de-force compositions. He does it better than Liszt himself, as exemplified by the menacing crashes of the Symphony for Solo Piano and the violent coda of Morte from the Op. 15.

The Symphony for Solo Piano is a masterpiece in my book. I've heard countless large-scale piano works and I must say nothing has ever made such an impression on me as this portion of the Op. 39. With Classical structure and Romantic furor, the work rivals any contemporary Sonata from Chopin, Schumann or even Brahms for that matter. To quote Francois Luguenot, "The structure of the piece is as perfect, and its proportions as harmonious, as those of a movement in a symphony by Mendelssohn, but the whole is dominated by a deeply passionate mood." Indeed, whether in the brooding first Allegro movement, the satirically gloomy funeral march, or the tempestuous Menuet, one can easily see that this work is a monumental tapestry of music. There is a comforting but mind-blowing range of expression in this masterpiece. If devilish torrents of pianism appeal to you, I guarantee the Finale, a "ride in hell" as Raymond Lewenthal aptly said, will tingle your spine and keep the blood pumping.

After listening to this recording dozens of times, I'm convinced the highlight of the CD is actually the Souvenirs: Trois Morceaux dans le genre pathetique Op. 15. Although harshly criticized by Schumann, I've never heard better works of their kind, whether from Chopin, Liszt, Henselt, or Rubinstein. This Op. 15 is a trinity of towering, gushing Romantic piano compositions. The first, Aime-moi, is astonishing in its scope, expressive ideas, and utter transcendence. Hamelin reveals a breathtaking degree of interpretative clairvoyance here. Even more tremendous is the simple but profound "Le vent," a heart-wrenching and melancholy excursion that defies the sonorities of the piano. To quote Liszt, "'Le vent' is the most Romantic of the three...One can almost hear the rain trickling down the oak trees' trunks, and, in great reverence, one can listen to the tune which floats above all these subdued murmurings, like the song of the lover or the poet as he looks upon Nature's sorrow yet without feeling that sadness in himself because he holds in his heart the gentle glow of a memory or a hope." Concluding this trio of jewels, Morte explores a dark abyss of sound, generating a level of pathos and fury unlike anything I've heard. The sinister "Dies Irae" opening leads to a lamenting and morbid development, replete with beautifully somber phrases and violent outbursts. Morte's underlying dark beauty and intensity shares a plateau with Beethoven's own Funeral Marches, in my view.

The three pieces that separate the Symphony for Solo Piano and the Op. 15 are equally impressive, as well. "Salut, cendre du pauvre!" is satisfyingly enchanting, dark, and pensive. Likewise, the "Super flumina Babylonis" proves to be just as engrossing, with memorable and intelligent ideas. Some other reviewers have spoken unkindly towards the glorious "Alleluia," but I don't believe it's as superficial as some have labeled it: Alkan's sense of replicating the organ's textures into the piano's registers, and the sheer majestic effect of a chorus, are all inherent in this brief but ecstatic work.

Bottom line: Those with an affinity for Liszt and Romantic piano will almost automatically love this music. The impact of hearing this magnificent but neglected music is like that of discovering fire by accident. It's one of the best CD's I've purchased in years; the performance of the extraordinary and god-like pianist, Marc-Andre Hamelin, is a triumph. I implore the reader to buy this right now and discover the stupendous music of Alkan.