Stephanie McCallum ALKAN Twelve Studies in all the Major Keys Opus 35

“Rarely do I find a record so irresistible that I listen to it over and over, well beyond what's required for a review. This is such a record… Part of the attraction is simply the joy of discovery. …These etudes represent Alkan at his best and most accessible. For the newly-initiated this would be a good place to begin… Stephanie McCallum is a thoroughly convincing champion of this music. Not only are her fingers up to the quite formidable technical task, but she has the right kind of temperament. Her playing has real character and elan.” (American Record Guide, May/June 1995)

“As fas as I know, the Australian Stephanie McCallum is the first woman pianist to record Alkan. There is, frankly, little to choose between her and Bernard Ringeissen who, at the moment, offers the sole alternative in Op. 35…. McCallum has a formidable pianistic armoury and… it's a most impressive recital. In particular, I urge you to hear her beautiful account of Etude no 19 "Chant d'amour".” (Classic CD, September 1995)

“This release is extremely welcome, the more so as Stephanie McCallum, a pupil of Ronald Smith well versed in Alkan's alchemy,. proves to be a formidable and insightful pianist, who gives us a very good idea of what the music is all about, ie transcendental technique at the service of ecstatic yet utterly disciplined vision. …Music like this, as well served as this, should be self-recommending.” (Hi-Fi News, April 1995)