Alkan: The Man/The Music [Paperback]

After Alkan's death his music continued to be admired and studied by both Debussy and Ravel. But it wasn't until the first recordings of his music began to appear in the 1960's that people got a chance to really get to know the music of this most unusual composer. Alkan has been neglected for many years, and it's not always easy to reawaken the public's interest. It's not enough, unfortunately, to let the music simply speak for itself. Alkan was famously obsessive in his work. He wrote a set of 12 studies of an entire 3 movement concerto and 4 movement symphony, and he once expressed a desire, which was unfulfilled to set the entire Bible to music. Alkan was said to be extremely reclusive and eccentric. There were always lots of myths and stories about Alkan to get people more interested in his music. Alkan's death in 1888 seems to exemplify the tragedy of his life living alone, he collapsed and was trapped by a piece of falling furniture for more than 24 hours before being discovered by callers who were able to drag him free. As with most myths, the truth in Alkan's life is more interesting than the fiction. And the very stories about Alkan that were exaggerated to attract the public's attention are now forming an obstacle to the further exploration of this remarkable mind. It's now time, for Alkan's sake to dispel the myths and let people get to know the real human being behind this remarkable music. So who really was Alkan? Alkan was born in Paris in 1813. His real name was Charles Valentin Morhange but he decided to adopt his father's first name Alkan. Alkan came from a highly musical and talented family and right from a very early age he showed an amazing musical ability, entering the Paris Conservatoire when he was only 6 years old, giving his first public performance at the age of 7 and graduating with first class honours in harmony at the age of 13. By his teen years he was composing and performing music that displayed a highly original imagination and a breathtaking keyboard skill. By the 1830's Alkan was emerging as one of the virtuoso pianists of Paris. It's important to remember that Paris at this time of the 19th century, was a cultural magnet for so many European artists. included Chopin and Liszt. Alkan became a friend, and next door neighbor of Chopin. Alkan worshipped Chopin's personality and music, and no doubt Chopin's early death at the age of 39 left a big void in Alkan's life. Another composer to be highly influenced by Alkan was Debussy. Debussy came across Alkan's music as a student at the Paris Conservatoire in the 1870's and was extremely fond of Alkan's miniatures for piano. Like Chopin, Alkan composed almost exclusively for the piano. Amongst his 75 opus numbers is the Twelve Studies In All The Minor Keys, Opus 39, a work that takes over 2 hours to perform complete and which contains within it a 3 movement Concerto and a four movement Symphony, both for solo piano. But in complete contrast to this work, Alkan also wrote beautiful miniatures depicting a wide variety of moods. These are the pieces Debussy was so fond of. Listening to these pieces it's easy to hear what attracted Debussy to this music. Alkan's last years were lonely and sad. He never married and his loneliness caused him much sorrow and despair. He died alone at the age of 74. This was a wonderful book and I have read it many times. I also wanted to recommend my favorite cd of Alkan's music which is: Alkan's Etudes Op. 39 with his other piano works performed by the pianist Jack Gibbons.

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