Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)

• 1853: Two concerts, he performed Bach's Concerto for three pianos
• 1857: Op 39 Études in all minor keys, Op 38 Chants, Op 40 Marches and Op 41 Fantaisies, shows that despite his psychological state, his compositions were only gaining maturity
• Ferdinand Hiller correspondence: hatred of Wagner's music, re-ignited passion for Bach's music
• 1864: Loses compositional desire, turns to biblical study

Thank you!

Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888)

[Morhange]

Petits Concerts and Lonely Passing

Gradual Depression

Major Works & Keyboard Output

Alkan's Musical Heritage

A Paradox of a Composer

Other Genres

Solo Piano

Alkan's Life

• born November 30th, 1813 as the second of six children in a musical family
• "Alkan" = civic name given by grandparents before France Jewish customs were socially acceptable
• pre-conservatoire style training at his father's boarding school
• child prodigy (first prize for solfège at Paris Conservatoire at age 7)
• accepted to Paris Conservatoire under tutelage of Joseph Zimmerman
• studied piano, organ, violin but then focuses on piano

• 1870: Musical life in Paris regenerated
• A series of 6 solo concerts per year (1873-1880) where he performed a mix of his own and his favored composer's compositions
• Beethoven's Op 110 Sonata, Bach's Toccata in F, others by Mendelssohn, Schumann and Schubert
• Mysterious death (Bookshelf? Kitchen?)

Op 10 - Concerto da Camera in A-

Op 17 - Le Preux

Op 31 - 25 Préludes dans tous les majeurs et mineurs

Op 33 - Grande Sonate (Quasi-Faust)

Op 35 - Douze Études dans tous les tons majeurs

Op 39 - Douze Études dans tous les tons mineurs

Op 61 - Sonatine

Chamber: duo concertant, one piano trio, many works lost including symphonies

Vocal/Choral: Mostly religious text, some Jewish melodies, Funeral March

Other keyboard works: piano duet, organ, harmonium

• Post-revolution French musical taste (Counter Conservatoire): Song-like piano music; lyrical, romantic melodies accompanied by arpeggio-like figures i.e. Chopin, Liszt and Alkan

• Italian operatic influence: Popularity of Rossini's music

• Conservatoire taste: Superiority of 18th century music, re-opening of Paris Conservatoire which featured study of early music

• 1848: Alkan wildly disapproves of Marmontel's work in his new position and sends many angry letters
• To Fétis: "one of the poorest musical minds"
• "changes and additions were made to competition pieces"
• 1858: Marmontel is promoted and Alkan is still angry about him 10 years later
• Anger not just about Marmontel - about the departure from the ancien régime, musical integrity in scholarship and general music state in Paris

1850

1875

1825

1900

1800

Performing Again

Stylistic Characteristics

Beginning of a Successful Career

Performance

Sound

Influences

Extremes

• Zimmerman introduces his favorite student to Parisian aristocratic figures, leading to many salon concerts and even a tour of Belgium and Brussels
• 1827: First report of his Op 1 composition Variations sur un thême de Steibelt
• Included chamber music in his concerts, and promoted orchestral music (symphonies, opera overtures)
• "He has the finest technique of anyone ... but he preferred the reclusive life to that of the concert platform" - Liszt after Alkan's 1838 retiral

• Italian and French opera
• classical sonata form
• Jewish chant
• keyboard and organ works of Bach
• French classical tradition

• own playing was described as filled with "power and relentless energy"
• preferred Erard pianos for large-scale pieces and Pleyel for intimate music
• tempo markings very rapid and "should not be taken too literally" (Beck)

Multiple Retirals

• 1839-44: Voluntarily retires
• Disapproved of bourgeois audience taste
• Birth of his son, Elie Delaborde in 1839
• 1840: Moved to Square d'Orléans in Paris where Chopin, Sand and other "celebrities" lived
• 1844: La France Musicale performance
• 1846-1848: Alkan disappears as a performer and turns attention to chamber music composition, but much of it was never found
• Applies to succeed Zimmerman as head of piano at Paris Conservatoire, fails

• took traditional musical forms and expanded them by length, grandeur, difficulty and orchestra-like texture (ex. Grande Sonate, Op 33)
• pushed pianists and the instrument to the limit with virtuosic and symphonic writing for the piano (ex. Op 35 and 39 Études)

• melodies influenced by Chopin, Mendelssohn and Schumann
• Heroic, bel canto, lament, symbolic, religious, march themes were all employed by him
• diatonic harmony, very tonal
• use of repetitive ostinato rhythms
• loyalty to traditional rules part-writing and counterpoint