Once, I, like most people, had never heard of Alkan. Until now I'd never heard of Ravina who was a friend of Alkan's and was taught piano by Alkan's father. There is quite a volume of his music available in score in the the public domain but rather than make random sorties into this I first would ask if anyone can recommend any particular works and what opinions there might exist as to the value of them.
Dedications are an interesting source of biographical information. Ravina's opus 3 is indeed dedicated 'a mon ami C.V Alkan'. Rather intrigingly, his opus 30 is dedicated to Mlle. Blanche Delius. Now I wonder who she may have been?
I didn't really expect any response here. Do we have any French members on this board? Ravina's output seems to have been mainly sets of studies and salon pieces and I'm not anticipating much from them. On the other hand, I will sample them to make sure as no opinion has been expressed. Salon music was the Classic FM of the nineteenth century.