Charles-Valentin Alkan

Charles-Valentin Alkan (born Charles-Henri-Valentin Morhange) was raised in Paris, receiving instruction in music from an early age. Alkan entered the Conservatoire de Paris as a child and by early adulthood was a well-respected pianist. Known almost entirely for his piano compositions, Alkan wrote technically difficult music that largely defied conventions of the day. He associated with influential figures of the romantic movement such as Frédéric Chopin and Victor Hugo, though his music generally avoids the more bucolic themes of romanticism in favor of the grotesque. Alkan retired relatively young, spending much of his life studying Talmud and other literature, withdrawn from urban life.