Life in Sonata-form

One of the oddest composers of the 19th century was the Parisian Charles-Valentin Alkan. Spectacularly gifted he was friends with Liszt and Chopin and one would consider him a romantic and he was sort of. His music is constructed as if a young Mozart or Haydn wrote it and the sentiment is that of the wildest romantic. The Sonata, the Four Ages of Man explores a man, not unlike Alkan himself, in the shank of life. Living life to the limit when young, later falling for the dark side and having to extricate himself with an eleven part based on a theme of Bach!

What happens next? Find out this Sunday afternoon at 5 on the Piano, heard on KPAC & KTXI.

host, Randy Anderson