At the moment there are no alternative recordings to Ringeissen's selection of etudes from Alkan's massive Op. 39, though it is to be hoped that EMI's transfer to CD of Ronald Smith's recordings of the complete set (12/78—nla) will soon be accomplished. The 12 Etudes dans tous les tons mineurs contain within their 277 pages some of the most fiendishly difficult piano writing of the mid-nineteenth century, and though they have gained a certain notoriety for their excessive technical demands they are equally notable for their harmonic innovation which foreshadows the 'progressive' tonality of Mahler and Nielsen.
Despite the unavailability of Smith's recordings it would be foolish not to take into account his pioneering readings and immense scholarly contribution to the Alkan cause. The differences between his and Ringeissen's recordings are quite considerable, particularly in their respective readings of the ''Symphonie'' for solo piano. Smith's timing of 10'42'' for the first movement comes pretty close to Alkan's formidable metronome marking, and makes Ringeissen's 13'29'' sound positively pedestrian. True, his slower tempo does reveal much more inner detail, which allows the harmonic beauty greater freedom for expression, and I like too his eloquent and sympathetic phrasing, but it loses something of the intended impetus and rhythmic drive that Smith achieves and which underlines the orchestral overtones of the work. Admittedly, Alkan's metronome markings in the first and last movements push the pianist to the absolute limits of endurance; the final movement for instance (described by Raymond Lewenthal as ''a ride in Hell'' for the pianist) is intended to be played at a breathtaking 96 bars a minute!; here, Smith is again closer to Alkan's merciless demands, though Ringeissen's marginally slower account is still pretty miraculous.
The remaining three works on this disc (Etudes Nos. 1, 2 and 11) provide an excellent introduction for the first-time listener. ''Comme le vent'' (''Like the wind'') is a brilliant tour de force contained within 27 pages of finger-crippling difficulty, which if taken at the specified metronome marking take exactly four and a half minutes to perform. Ringeissen takes a minute longer and still makes it sound superhuman (those who doubt the feasibility of Alkan's metronome markings are directed to Smith's recording—four and a half minutes exactly!). The second study ''En rythme molossique'' is a rondo of considerable drive and energy, and is given a performance of equal power and conviction. The ''Ouverture'', like the ''Symphonie'', has orchestral overtones but is conceived in brilliantly pianistic terms. Ringeissen gives a beautifully crafted and impressive performance; powerful in the outer sections and a fine amount of poetry in the quieter, dreamlike central section. My biggest reservation concerns the rather forwardly placed piano sound which has lots of 'pedal' noise and is far too bass heavy.
Marco Polo's second disc is definitely more for the Alkan enthusiast than the first-time toe-dipper. Attractive as many of these preludes are, the newcomer is more likely to be nonplussed rather than won-over by these curious miniatures, containing as they do, all the foibles and eccentricities that make up Alkan's many-sided genius. In the second volume of his study on Alkan (Alkan, The Music; Kahn & Averill: 1979) Ronald Smith expresses doubts about these being played as a set; they certainly make an ideal presentation on CD, but they lack the formal cohesion one finds in say Chopin's celebrated set. The most rewarding preludes are often the ones to which Alkan has appended titles—''Dans le genre ancien'' No. 3, the striking ''La chanson de la folle au bord de la mer'' (''Song of the mad woman by the sea'') No. 8, in which each hand inhabits opposite ends of the keyboard, and the ''Cantiques des cantiques'' No. 13, with its gently repeated chords and undulating melody.
Laurent Martin gives persuasive and sensitive performances of these intriguing miniatures, particularly the more introspective ones, but is once again let down by a rather boxy, closely recorded piano sound with intrusive pedal noise. Nevertheless, these are important issues despite my reservations about the sound. Ringeissen's disc would certainly be a good stop-gap until such times as EMI reissue the Smith recordings. Martin's disc is the first and only complete recording of the Op. 31 Preludes, which makes it invaluable to the dedicated Alkan enthusiast.'