Charles-Valentin Alkan - Nocturne No. 1 Op. 22 - Ronald Smith

"The nocturne in B major Op. 22 stands beside the finest examples of a genre created by John Field and consummated by Chopin. If it strikes deeper than Field it remains purer and cooler than Chopin but is no less rewarding to play or beguiling to hear. Henri Blanchard's account of Alkan's playing provides the key to its interpretation: '...beside the gradations of tone which he possesses to the highest degree, there is a fullness and sensitivity - that rare gift on which the art of making this instrument sing and stir the emotions is based'. The scheme could hardly be simpler: a limpid melody framing a persuasive middle section with the ingenious combination of both ideas in its closing bars."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Charles-Valentin
• Alkan
• Ronald
• Smith
• Nocturne
• No.
• Op.
• 22
• piano
• classical

[jade03092007]

Tres joli nocturne que je decouvre .

[KeithWhalen11]

@jade03092007 Alkan es connu pour ses études féroce, mais il écrivait des œuvres très joli aussi! Le changement à 2:13 (sempre dolce e con affetto) es particulièrement émouvant.

[KeithWhalen11]

The theme at 2:13 is so lovely. Alkan was capable of just about anything.

[brianCIM]

and then he combines it with the first theme near the conclusion. breath-taking!

[cerzule]

This is every bit as beautiful and full of emotion as any of Chopin's nocturnes.

[koalaswrath]

Kind of reminds me of Chopin's Nocturne Op. 32 in A flat,

[OrangeSodaKing]

Wonderful! A must-learn!

[pianiplunker]

It may be every bit as good as Chopin but this seems closer in style to Fields nocturnes, much more emotionally restrained than any of Chopin's.

[Sorcerer88]

i just uploaded my recording, although it's of course not as good as this one =) it's hard to control the phrasing with the accompaniment in trioles and some double note runs, but it's a great piece and rewarding to play. And there's a lot of room for interpretation, mine is very different from Smith's as his is from Da Boort's.

[hrofc1]

Wonderful upload - Alkan is amazing.

[Lukecash12]

I really like how loosely Ronald Smith phrases this. Also, i took note of how hushed, even restrained his dynamics are. It sounded very human, which is one the very best complements you can give in music.

[uigrad]

Wow, I love this nocturne!

I printed it out from the scores that Chosson has put online on his site, and started working on it. The places where it seems to resolve to the key of B-flat major, it is actually written instead as A#-major (10 sharps: all F, C, and G notes are played as double-sharps).

The way that the two themes are combined is just amazing. It's not quite the beauty of Chopin, but is extremely close. It's a real shame that the piece is so obscure.