Grande sonate 'Les quatre âges'

[3]However, Smith also points out that whilst Liszt treats his material rhapsodically, Alkan keeps to the classical form, if not proportions.

The movement contains much of the most difficult parts in the entire sonata like extremely rapid chords and octaves, huge leaps in both hands and other passage works.

"[4] 40 ans, titled "Un heureux ménage" (A Happy Household), illustrates family life for the aging man, with sections that represent "the children" and "a prayer".

The sonata ends with 50 ans, called "Prométhée enchaîné" (Prometheus Bound), which gravely depicts the man looking toward death.

However, there is no evidence that Liszt (or Alkan himself, for that matter) ever played the 'Grande sonate'[6] in public or private, although the two pianists certainly knew each other in Paris and were aware of each other's work.

However, the publication of the 'Grande sonate' was unfortunate in its timing; in early 1848 the revolution emptied the capital of musical life, and Alkan's failure to obtain a professorship at the Paris Conservatoire later in the year led to his withdrawal from the concert scene.

Announcement of the publication of Alkan's Grande sonate (Op. 33) and Scherzo focoso (Op. 34) by Brandus et Cie [ fr ] on 7 May 1848 in the Revue et gazette musicale de Paris
The sonata begins with the optimistic 20 ans , played very quickly and lively.
30 ans , also known as "Quasi-Faust", the second movement, begins with a fanfare to be played "satanically".
The third movement depicts "a happy household" with sections devoted to "the children" and "praying".
50 ans , the final movement, is subtitled "Prometheus Bound" and is very dark and intense.