Composer: Charles-Valentin Alkan
Performer: Steven Osborne
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Hyperion
Catalogue: CDA67377
Release: 2003
Size: 200 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
48 Esquisses, Op. 63
Book 1
01. No. 1, La vision
02. No. 2, Le staccatissimo
03. No. 3, Le legatissimo
04. No. 4, Les cloches
05. No. 5, Les initiés
06. No. 6, Fuguette
07. No. 7, Le frisson
08. No. 8, Pseudo-naïveté
09. No. 9, Confidence
10. No. 10, Increpatio
11. No. 11, Les soupirs
12. No. 12, Barcarollette
Book 2
13. No. 13, Ressouvenir
14. No. 14, Duettino
15. No. 15, Tutti de concerto dans le genre ancien
16. No. 16, Fantaisie
17. No. 17, Petit prélude a 3
18. No. 18, Liedchen
19. No. 19, Grâces
20. No. 20, Petite marche villageoise
21. No. 21, Morituri te salutant
22. No. 22, Innocenzia
23. No. 23, L’homme aux sabots
24. No. 24, Contredanse
Book 3
25. No. 25, La poursuite
26. No. 26, Petit air
27. No. 27, Rigaudon
28. No. 28, Inflexibilité
29. No. 29, Délire
30. No. 30, Petit air dolent
31. No. 31, Début de quatuor
32. No. 32, Minuettino
33. No. 33, Fais dodo
34. No. 34, Odi profanum vulgus et arceo
35. No. 35, Musique militaire
36. No. 36, Toccatina
Book 4
37. No. 37, Scherzettino
38. No. 38, Les bons souhaits
39. No. 39, Héraclite et Démocrite
40. No. 40, Attendez-moi sous l’orme
41. No. 41, Les enharmoniques
42. No. 42, Petit air a 5 voix
43. No. 43, Notturnino – Innamorato
44. No. 44, Transports
45. No. 45, Les diablotins
46. No. 46, Le premier billet doux
47. No. 47, Scherzetto
48. No. 48, En songe
49. Postlude. Laus Deo
The renaissance of interest in the reclusive and eccentric 19th-century French composer Alkan has been one of the more interesting developments of the last part of the 20th century but it has usually been his massive and virtuoso works (the symphony and concerto for solo piano for example) which have made the biggest impression. Throughout his life though Alkan was also a miniaturist, as 25 Preludes and six books of Chants show, and this interest culminated in undoubtedly the greatest of these cycles, the Esquisses (sketches) here recorded. This set of 48 pieces plus a final Laus Deo runs through all 24 keys twice with the Laus Deo returning the double cycle to C major. A huge range of mood and colour is represented from simple folk song to etude, not forgetting the bizarre, as can be seen in the tone clusters of Les Diablotins or the schizophrenic Hraclite et Dmocrite. This cycle has only been recorded complete once before. With Steven Osborne applying his colour, virtuosity and interpretive insight we are confident we have produced a recording that will permanently raise the stature of these pieces in the musical world and add a significant milestone in the Alkan discography.