Charles-Valentin Alkan - Nocturne No. 1 Op. 22 - Ronald Smith

"The nocturne in B major Op. 22 stands beside the finest examples of a genre created by John Field and consummated by Chopin. If it strikes deeper than Field it remains purer and cooler than Chopin but is no less rewarding to play or beguiling to hear. Henri Blanchard's account of Alkan's playing provides the key to its interpretation: '...beside the gradations of tone which he possesses to the highest degree, there is a fullness and sensitivity - that rare gift on which the art of making this instrument sing and stir the emotions is based'. The scheme could hardly be simpler: a limpid melody framing a persuasive middle section with the ingenious combination of both ideas in its closing bars."