The Song of the Madwoman Singing by the Edge of the Sea

There are a number of composers of genius whose compositions are little-known, because of the technical difficulties of performance, or a failure to engage supporters in their own time, or an extremely avant-garde or eccentric aesthetic or compositional philosophy.

One such "forgotten genius" was the 19th-Century French composer, Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813-1888). Alkan was regarded by Liszt as a performer and composer of the highest level, rivaling himself as a virtuoso. Unfortunately, Alkan became misanthropic and reclusive and his impact on performers, scholars, and composers diminished and he was almost completely forgotten.

One of the most haunting pieces of music that I know is Alkan's La Chanson de la Folle au Bord de la Mer (The Song of the Madwoman By the Side of the Sea) played by the English pianist Ronald Smith, whose dedication to reviving lost treasures of the piano repertory I have much admired for many years.

The Song of the Madwoman by the Edge of the Sea is haunting, evocative, and beautiful. I hope that this might introduce some people to music, and a composer, that they will enjoy. Alkan is worth listening into.

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Additional:
Alkan: Nocturne No. 1 in B Major, Op. 22 played by Ronald Smith.
The same piece, Nocturne No. 1 in B Major, Op. 22 played by French-Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin. This Nocturne is a lovely piece, and wonderfully polyphonic and delightfully structured. Perhaps there was something in the water in Paris then...Alkan was Chopin's next-door neighbor....

Alkan: Marche Funebre played by Ronald Smith. You will hear drum-rolls, bells, and the slow, regular steps of the funeral procession. The "B" section enters with celebratory bells pealing through the city. The return to the "A" section brings back the funebral drumrolls and the minor key. (Here is another recording of the Marche Funebre, by Mark Viner, a young English pianist.) The contrasting piece by Alkan is the Marche Triomphale, played in this recording by Ronald Smith. The Marche Funebre and Marche Triomphale are Opus 26a and Opus 26b, respectively.

Among Alkan's HUGE works for piano are his Concerto for Solo Piano and his Symphonie for solo piano. Here are recordings of the Symphonie: played by Ronald Smith; played by Marc-Andre Hamelin; and played by Mark Viner. (The Symphonie is too long to be a single Youtube entry, so these links are to the first parts of each pianist's performance; if you are intrigued, please follow the links through to hear the entire composition.) For those of you who might be fans of historical pianism, here is a recording of Egon Petri, student and friend of Ferruccio Busoni, who was himself a champion of Alkan's music, playing an excerpt from the Symphonie.

And, for a different note: Alkan's composition for chorus, three oboes, and bassoon, Marcia Funebre, Sulla Morte d'un Papagallo (Funeral March on the Death of a Parrot) is brilliant, witty, and hilarious. {The text of the chorus is "As-tu dejuner, Jaco?"--"Have you eaten, Jacko?" which is the French equivalent of "Polly want a cracker?" in English. The only other text is "Et de quoi? Ah" which would translate as "And what [did you have]? Oh".} Alkan is thought of as an eccentric composer of huge, serious, difficult music--difficult for the performer, technically and musically, and difficult for the audience--but this music is delightful. It is droll, ironic, sardonic, sympathetic, lovely...and funny.

Alkan: Baracolle, Opus 65, Number 6, played by Mark Viner; and played by Marc-Andre Hamelin.

There is a lot more to be found on Youtube, and there are now a good number of records of Alkan's music available. I hope that some of you will be moved enough to explore further!