Publication: Paris, Simon Richault, ca 1866

This is a companion volume to 'Souvenirs des concerts du Conservatoire,' also comprising six arrangements. Regarding the Bach arrangements included here, Alkan, a fervent admirer of Bach, was also the first Frenchman to contribute financially to the Bach-Gesellschaft, founded in Leipzig in 1850. In 1855, he arranged an aria extracted from one of the first cantatas published by the Bach-Gesellschaft (BWV1) for soprano and piano.

No. 2: J. S. Bach, from Sonata No. 2 for Flute and Harpsichord, Second Movement

The original piece is the Siciliano, the second movement of the Sonata in E-flat Major for Flute and Harpsichord, BWV 1031 (1730–1734). The arpeggiated chords of the harpsichord are faithfully reproduced on the piano, appropriately distributed between the left and right hands. It is important to accustom the hands to the irregular fingering and to ensure that the flute and harpsichord parts are perceived as distinct.