Charles-Valentin Alkan: Rondo Brillant, Op. 4 (Christine Stevenson, Morhange Ensemble)

In 1992, the Alkan Society led an effort to record several rarer works of Alkan on the Symposium label, and the CD was called "Alkan: A Symposium." The opening work is the youthful virtuoso concertino "Rondo Brillant" Op. 4 for piano and strings. Christine Stevenson easily handles even the most difficult passagework throughout while maintaining a light and playful touch. The string players of the Morhange Ensemble provide lively and expressive support for the daring soloist. I figured that since there isn't much music by Alkan with strings, and there aren't many recordings of what does exist, so this great recording should be made more widely available. It isn't one of Alkan's greatest or most mature works, but it is still nice to see what the ambitions of a young composer before he fully found his personal voice. I hope you enjoy!