Alkan

Alkan: lonely 19th century genius, virtuoso pianist and also composer of some of the most difficult and disturbingly powerful piano music. After a long period of neglect his piano music is being discovered by an ever-widening public and played and recorded by some of the world’s leading pianists. This edition, in two parts, was originally published in two separate volumes – the first dealth with the man, and the second was devoted solely to his music. With this reprint in one volume the books have been extensively revised, with two extra appendices added, and new bibliographies and discographies included.

Author Biography

Ronald Smith lived in Sussex and was educated at the Brighton College of Music and later won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music. He studied privately with Marguerite Long in Paris and completed a BMus degree at Durham University. As a concert pianist, Smith championed the piano works from the romantic period, in particular those of Charles-Valentin Alkan, who he recorded extensively. His detailed research led him to discover much new information about this reclusive composer.