Charles-Valentin Alkan

Charles-Valentin Alkan, born on November thirtieth, eighteen thirteen, was a distinguished French composer and virtuoso pianist whose influence resonated throughout the Parisian music scene. He began his musical education at the Conservatoire de Paris at a remarkably young age, entering before he was six years old. During the peak of his career in the 1830s and 1840s, he stood alongside renowned contemporaries such as Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, establishing himself as one of the leading pianists in the city.

Despite his success, Alkan often withdrew from public performances for personal reasons, leading to a reclusive lifestyle starting in eighteen forty-eight. Nevertheless, he continued to compose prolifically, focusing primarily on keyboard works. Among his notable contributions during this period were his extensive collections of studies in all major keys (Op. 35) and minor keys (Op. 39), which include the celebrated Symphony for Solo Piano and Concerto for Solo Piano, both recognized for their musical and technical complexity.

Alkan's Jewish heritage played a significant role in his life and work, as he was the first composer to integrate Jewish melodies into art music. His linguistic prowess extended to fluency in Hebrew and Greek, which he utilized in his ambitious project of translating the Bible into French, a work that remains lost. Although he never married, he had a presumed son, Élie-Miriam Delaborde, who followed in his footsteps as a virtuoso performer and editor of Alkan's works.

After a long period of self-imposed retirement, Alkan re-emerged in the 1870s, captivating a new generation of musicians with a series of recitals. However, following his death, which is shrouded in myth, his music fell into obscurity, supported only by a handful of dedicated musicians. It wasn't until the late twentieth century that his compositions began to resurface, thanks to the efforts of pianists like Raymond Lewenthal and Ronald Smith, who rekindled interest in his remarkable oeuvre.