Charles-Valentin Alkan - Trois Etudes de Bravoure Op.16 (1) Mouvement de Valse (Ronald Smith) скачать в хорошем качестве

Charles-Valentin Alkan - Trois Etudes de Bravoure Op.16 (1) Mouvement de Valse (Ronald Smith)

Poor Alkan never really got the recognition he deserved. A Jewish Parisian during the times of Liszt and Chopin, this rather reclusive and shy character created some outstanding material, most of which is generally unplayable by most mortals. Interestingly enough, Sorabji himself, was one of the first to really promote Alkan’s works and lift his name out of obscurity. Even Liszt, a very modest and charitable individual, openly declared that Alkan’s works are superior in form and composition than his own. I have not had much experience of listening to Alkan’s works; however, I was struck by the first etude (or scherzo) of his Trois Etudes de Bravoure. Actually, it is really the second (or middle) part of the first etude which is what is particularly interesting although you need the first and last parts to complement it. The first part of this etude opens with gusto and action. And there it continues until the middle passage is reached. This quiet section has a precise tick-tock rhythm in the bass and a light lyrical musicbox-like theme which becomes progressively more complicated. Moreover, the melody seems to get somewhat ‘distorted’, as if everything is not going quite right. Oddly, it reminded me of the murderous puzzle box in Clive Barker’s film, Hellraiser, in which a little tune played but very much out of tune, until, of course, the puzzle box opened and claimed its victims! In any case, it is an interesting sequence. This piece was played by Ronald Smith.