Alkan: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 5

[4candles]

Those of you who like the music of Alkan will, I hope, be pleased to note the soon-to-be-available fifth album in Mark Viner's ongoing series to record all the composer's piano works.

Listen to samples here.

Alkan is not now so unsung, but the works on this disk certainly are. To my knowledge this includes the first CD recording on piano of the rarely heard 11 pieces dans le style religieux, Op.72, which would be placed within the composer's more 'spiritual' offerings. I had previously only heard these works on the organ and it is fascinating to hear how the soundworld of each piece is so different depending on the instrument they are played on. Interestingly, for me, they work well on both instruments and it is only a pity that one cannot hear them on a pédalier (the few historical instruments don't do much for me, and the newer inventions, despite their clarity of sound, don't quite capture the sonorities required).

Added to this are a first recording of an Alkan étude - always a ravishing prospect - and a second-ever recording of another étude. Both pieces are like nothing else in the piano repertoire.

4c

[ahinton]

Excellent playing as ever from the remarkable Mark Viner!

[Jonathan]

Yes, indeed, looking forward to getting this one myself!