Description

Charles Valentin Alkan dedicated his efforts solely to the piano, and it is difficult to find a composer who has filled the page with notes as densely as Alkan. He is among the extraordinary piano virtuosos who created works that were once deemed unplayable, yet are now being rediscovered by an increasing number of skilled musicians. The etude collection op. 39 is particularly intriguing, as the composer not only assigned expressive titles to the twelve etudes (with Le Festin d'Ésope for no. 12, HN 1394, being especially renowned), but also categorized some of them under distinct headings. For instance, Etudes nos. 4–7 constitute a – pianistically very appealing – Symphony, which is presented here in the highest quality notation. Although the original manuscripts are no longer available, Alkan meticulously oversaw the printing process, ensuring that the first edition serves as a dependable foundation for a precise Henle Urtext edition. The fingerings are attributed to Alkan expert Vincenzo Maltempo.