Search - Charles-Valentin Alkan, Laurent Martin, Bernard Ringeissen :: Alkan: The Railway and other Piano Works

Great value for money

Jesper Hansen | Ringkobing Denmark | 10/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not really a great fan of Naxos. I am, however, a great fan of romantic pianists, and since Alkan was one of the and the Naxos recording was the only one I could get...well, I had to buy it! And I'm glad I did. This recording is amazing! First of all, I was amazed by the many aspects in Alkans music, but even more so by the quality of the recording. Ever note stands out and is perfectly clear (well, as clear as can be when it's alkan we are talking about!). The two performers are obviously the right choice for this recording and it's a shame that I haven't heard of them before. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Alkans music, this is $6 well spend...just wait till you hear "The Railway", that is simply amazing, it's a wonder that anyone is actually playing like that! a really good cheap recording like this is hard to find, so do yourself a favour and buy it!"

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offeck | New York, NY -- United States of America | 12/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an excellent, excellent disc. However, the content is only selections duplicated from complete recorded performances previously available (in their entirety) on Marco Polo by Bernard Ringeissen and Laurent Martin... This is an excellent introduction to Alkan, no doubt, and the price is beautiful! However, you may be a little wary after buying this (which is basically a great hits compilation) to go for the more serious stuff available elsewhere... Most likely unnecessary purchases for Alkaholics."

Charles Valentin Alkan: "The Berlioz of piano"

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 07/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The weird creative universe of Alkan, his well marked introspection as well as his febrile activity in which concerns the expressive possibilities of the piano, surrounded him of a sort of mysterious halo.



His introspectiveness exerted on the audiences, caution, veiled admiration and a certain misgiving. His lyricism was not precisely direct. He faded into oblivion until the second half of the XX Century when Roland Smith, John Ogdon, Raymond Lewenthal, Michael Ponti, Bernard Ringeissen and lastly the renowned pianist Marc Andre Hamelin have really worried to make of him a better known composer, and judging by the nourished list of new recordings of Alkan, the result has been pretty fruitful.



This album presents a set of interesting piano pieces, that it would be extremely advisable to take into account, in case you are a true musical archeologist, incessantly active for searching the enormous number of unknown Op. and treasures to find out.



Laurent Martin is solvent pianist with a broad range of sonorities. Ringeissen is besides other untiring pianist always receptive to new sounds.



Iron horse, Op. 27 is perhaps, the most astonishing and original piece of the album, plenty of suggestive sonorities and wild beauty.

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