Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano & Concerto for Solo Piano Paul Wee
- Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813 - 1888): Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 4-7:
- 1 Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 4-7: I. Allegro moderato 10:33
- 2 Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 4-7: II. Marche funèbre. Andantino 06:19
- 3 Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 4-7: III. Menuet. Tempo di minuetto 04:59
- 4 Symphony for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 4-7: IV. Finale. Presto 04:08
- Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 8-10:
- 5 Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 8-10: I. Allegro assai 29:59
- 6 Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 8-10: II. Adagio 12:26
- 7 Concerto for Solo Piano, Op. 39 Nos. 8-10: III. Allegretto alla barbaresca 08:56
Info for Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano & Concerto for Solo Piano
Charles-Valentin Alkan made his name as pianist in nineteenth-century Paris and seemed poised for a glittering career. But following a series of setbacks he withdrew into a life of relative seclusion, and as he receded from the public eye, so too did his music. It was never entirely forgotten, but it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that Alkan’s works began to emerge from obscurity. To quote the liner notes by Paul Wee, ‘Alkan’s music exhibits a formidable grasp of form and structure, a strong command of melody, a high sense of drama and an unprecedented exploitation of the capabilities of the piano.’ Combined here on one disc – possibly for the first time – are the Symphony and the Concerto for Solo Piano, two pinnacles of Alkan’s legacy. Unusually, the four movements of the Symphony and the three movements of the Concerto are included as seven études within Alkan’s Douze Études dans tous les tons mineurs (Twelve studies in all the minor keys), in 1857 as his Op. 39. As to why Alkan composed these epic works and then hid them away in a set of études, Wee suggests that they are to be seen as ‘a celebration of the piano and its capabilities.’
Paul Wee is a barrister specialising in commercial law and appears regularly before courts and tribunals on behalf of clients including governments, corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Born in Australia, he began his piano studies at the age of four, continuing them in New York City at the Manhattan School of Music. Going on to study law at the University of Oxford, he attempts to balance his love for the piano alongside the demands of a busy international career in law.
Paul Wee, piano
Paul C K Wee
is a barrister at 3 Verulam Buildings in London, specialising in commercial law and investor-state arbitration. Ranked as a leading junior barrister and recognised by the Legal 500 as being ‘extremely strategic, knowledgeable about international law, enormously hardworking, and a pleasure to work with’, he appears regularly before courts and arbitral tribunals on behalf of clients including governments, corporations, financial institutions and individuals. His practice spans a diverse range of sectors, including banking and finance, oil and gas, energy and infrastructure, mining and exploration, telecommunications, IT, manufacturing, and entertainment and media.
Born in Australia to Singaporean and Malaysian parents, Paul Wee began his piano studies at the age of four. Following a number of early appearances, including a concerto début in London’s Royal Albert Hall aged 12, he continued his studies in New York City at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Nina Svetlanova. Having decided not to pursue a primary career in the arts, he returned to the United Kingdom to study law at the University of Oxford, and obtained his BA (Jurisprudence) and BCL from Keble College. He was called to the Bar by Gray’s Inn in 2010, and attempts to balance his love for the piano alongside the demands of a busy practice at the Bar.
Booklet for Alkan: Symphony for Solo Piano & Concerto for Solo Piano