Happy 200th Birthday...

[Roslynmuse]

...Charles-Valentin Alkan

Born 30th November 1813

[EdgeleyRob]

I'll drink to that.
My favourite composer for the piano by a very long country mile.
Can't wait for the Radio 3 Alkanathon

[teamsaint]

excellent flagging up, RM.

I shall play my one Alkan disc to mark the day.

Remind me when the Alkanathon is pencilled in for, ER?

[verismissimo]

I have one too. John Ogden playing Alkan's Concerto for Solo Piano. I played it once. Should I be doing that again?

[EdgeleyRob]

i have one too. John ogden playing alkan's concerto for solo piano. I played it once. Should i be doing that again?

yes !

[Ferretfancy]

I have an RCA reissue on CD of Raymond Lewenthal playing amongst other things Le Festin D'Aesop. He gave a recital of Alkan's music at the QEH back in the 1960s, appearing at the piano in a long scarlet lined cloak and opera hat with a candlestick on the piano-very Liberace. At the time he was a great crusader for Alkan before Ronald Smith began his monumental survey of the music on disc.

[Barbirollians]

I am sure Radio 3 do have plans - to ask the bloke who orchestrated those pop songs for Children in Need - to take Alkan's best tunes and make them into some songs for One Direction and Katherine Jenkins to sing together .

[Sir Velo]

You've just reminded me Roslynmuse: what a startlingly original and (occasionally) inspired genius, Alkan was. No doubt R3 celebrated his anniversary with a non stop medley of his greatest works.

I will dedicate the morning to a belated celebration by listening to the Concerto for Solo Piano; the Symphony; and the magnificent Grande Sonate.

[BBMmk2]

Ah I have the JO recording as well also the jack Gibbons two-cder on ASV! Both wonderful. Ah I also have Marc-Andre Hamlin's fantastic wizardry, on Hyperion with the fabulous Grande Sonate!! :)

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Can't wait for the Radio 3 Alkanathon

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

[ahinton]

Perhaps that ought better to read Alkanothan, with performances by Jonathan Powell, who's been doing a lot for the bicentenary this year, most recently a lecture-recital in Florence a couple of days ago; sadly, though, it would seem that any such R3 event would now seem rather like locking the stable door after the cheval has bolted...