Charles-Valentin Alkan French composer and virtuoso pianist Date of Birth: 30.11.1813 Country: France

1. Biography of Charles-Valentin Alkan
2. Early Life and Family
3. Child Prodigy
4. Rise to Fame and Career
5. Later Life and Death

Biography of Charles-Valentin Alkan

Charles-Valentin Alkan, a French composer and virtuoso pianist, was one of the greatest piano virtuosos of his time. His attachment to his Jewish roots played a role both in his life and in his work. Alkan entered the Paris Conservatoire at the age of 6, receiving numerous awards. As he grew up, he became a famous pianist and teacher. Although he initially enjoyed the company and friendship of many outstanding musicians and artists, including Eugène Delacroix, Franz Liszt, and Frédéric Chopin, Alkan gradually withdrew from performing after 1848 and lived as a recluse in Paris until his death.

Early Life and Family

Charles-Valentin Morhange, later known as Alkan, was born on November 30, 1813, in Le Marais, the Jewish quarter of Paris. He was the second of six children of Alkan Morhange, the owner of a private music school, and his wife Julie Morhange. From an early age, Charles and his siblings took their father's name as their surname. His sister, Céleste Alkan, became a renowned pianist, his brother Napoléon Alkan became a solfège teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, and his brother Maxim Alkan composed light music for Parisian theaters. Charles spent almost his entire life in Paris and its surroundings, with his only travels being concert tours in England in 1833-1834 and a short visit to Metz in the 1840s for family matters.

Child Prodigy

Alkan showed exceptional talent from a young age. At the age of 6, he became a student at the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied piano and organ. He quickly became a favorite of his teacher, Joseph Zimmermann, who also taught Georges Bizet, Charles Gounod, and Ambroise Thomas. By the age of 7, Alkan won his first prize for solfège and received awards for piano, harmony, and organ. Luigi Cherubini, the director of the conservatory, described Alkan's technique and abilities as extraordinary. At 7 and a half, Alkan made his debut as a violinist and at 12, he performed as a pianist, playing several of his own compositions at a private concert. His first set of compositions was published in 1828 when he was only 14 years old.

Rise to Fame and Career

At the age of 20, Alkan taught and performed concerts, befriending Liszt, George Sand, Victor Hugo, and Anton Rubinstein. By 1838, his career reached its peak. He frequently performed with Chopin and gained recognition as a virtuoso capable of rivaling Liszt, who considered Alkan to have the best piano technique of anyone he knew. In 1839, it is believed that Alkan had an illegitimate son, Élie-Miriam Delaborde, who later became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire. Around the same time, Alkan took a break from public appearances for six years to focus on private lessons and composition, returning to concert performances in 1844.

Later Life and Death

Alkan lived near Chopin, and when Chopin died in 1849, many of his students turned to Alkan for guidance. However, in 1848, Alkan faced a significant disappointment. It was expected that he would become the head of the piano department at the conservatory after Zimmerman's retirement, but the position was given to Antoine Marmontel. This deep disappointment caused a mental breakdown for Alkan. He appeared less frequently in public, resigned from his position as an organist at the Paris synagogue, and spent many years in seclusion, except for two concerts in 1853. Despite feeling unhappy and purposeless, Alkan continued composing and publishing music, as well as maintaining correspondence with a select group of friends.

In the last 10 years of his life, Alkan returned to give a series of concerts, sometimes performing with his sister and brothers. Unfortunately, many of his works are considered lost today. He died on March 29, 1888, at the age of 74. There is a popular story that Alkan died when a bookcase fell on him, with the Talmud, placed on the top shelf, being the cause. However, this is not true. He was found in the kitchen by the concierge, who heard his groans. It seems that Alkan lost consciousness and dropped a heavy umbrella stand onto himself. The concierge escorted him to his bedroom where he passed away late in the evening.