Since I culled almost all my CD's of this composer, due to bad performances and sound, I would like to invited some recommendations, including his solo piano works, and possibly chamber music, so that I might order a far better selection of both genres. I have no hesitation of getting complete sets, if possible.
I hope there is some reaction on this request.
For the complete Opus 39, the Jack Gibbons recording is quite wonderful. I have Stephanie McÇallum for the Opus 35.
But then again, you don't really have to get the complete Opus 39 on one recordings by one person. The three pianists I like the most for Alkan are Ronald Smith, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Raymond Lowenthal.
Quote from: springrite on January 29, 2022, 04:53:58 AM
For the complete Opus 39, the Jack Gibbons recording is quite wonderful. I have Stephanie McÇallum for the Opus 35.
But then again, you don't really have to get the complete Opus 39 on one recordings by one person. The three pianists I like the most for Alkan are Ronald Smith, Marc-Andre Hamelin and Raymond Lowenthal.
Well Paul, that's a start, I will investigate, thank you for the info.
Some essential recordings:
Concerto for Solo Piano (from Op. 39), my favorite is Hamelin's earlier recording on Music and Art.
Symphony for Solo Piano, Lewenthal is superb here.
Sonata (Four Ages of Man), Hamelin and Smith are both excellent, with Smith being probably the more musically appealing. I'd get both.
The most indispensable recording for me is the Three Grand Etudes, Op. 76 (the first for the left hand, the second for the right hand and the third for both hands), played LIVE by Hamelin on his Wigmore Hall Recital CD. It is incredible.
The best Martin recording is the Esquisses. I have not heard the Hyperion recording so I can't say.
For the Piano Concerti, get the Hamelin recording.
For chamber music, Sonate de Concert Op. 47, by Bertrand and Amoyel, on Harmonia Mundi.
We don't have an Alkan thread already? Wow! I know he's not in the top-tier of composers but I'm surprised.
Wrote it all down Paul, thank you for the effort, I will try to find all those recordings on Qobuz and listen to them!
Paul Wee has set a new standard for the concerto and symphony for solo piano, I think. His recent BIS recording is astonishing - the virtuosic power and energy of Hamelin, but with more poetry and calm in the quieter sections, so that you don't get exhausted. It also has BIS' usual high recorded sound standards. I actually listened to the solo concerto last week in Wee's performance, and it's so "huge" of a musical experience, it is almost overwhelming. There were multiple portions where I did not understand how the music was playable without 3 or 4 hands.
All the more worth researching because Paul Wee is not a professional pianist - he is a barrister in the UK court system who trained as a pianist before switching careers. Certainly there cannot be much competition against him for the title of best amateur pianist in the world. And he wrote the excellent booklet essay himself.
I also enjoy the Toccata Classics album of Alkan's piano transcriptions of various Mozart works. Of course, it does help to be a Mozart lover!
I prefer Ponti's performance here; it's available on a Vox CD along with works by Berwald, Liszt, Czerny.