Customer Reviews

"Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3; Nocturnes; Berceuse; Barcarolle"

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I sent for this recording, doubtfully. I had read the four existing reviews already on Amazon. As I read it, the detractors are damning with faint praise while the fans are mainly trying to counter the detractors, writing back, No, no, he's great.

In an atmosphere of seriously considered mixed reviews, why did I send anyway?

Well. Marc-Andre Hamelin has already gotten my attention with his many other superb releases. He has proven himself, in solo music and concertos by both, so-called off-beat composers, and by mainstream composers. The negative review comments weighed me down, yet this strong track record said: Do check out his Chopin. Having listened, I must side with the fans, for reasons I can spell out.

Right from the first track on this disc, uncommon commitment and intelligence seems to prevail. We begin with a Chopin work from the sidelines of the core Chopin oeuvre, the Berceuse. It all sounds so charming, so simple, and therein lies the trap of programming it. There are no thundering displays, as in the polonaise or the scherzo or even the impromptu. Dynamics are finely graded, on the low volume sides. Hard to make penetrating enough to reach the far walls of most modern auditoriums, hence not played all that often in live concerts. Chalk it up to Artur Rubinstein, among other gifted servants, that the Berceuse gets played at all. Hamelin plays it beautifully to my ears. He doesn't try to make it into something other than it is, and he is compelling insofar as he reveals to me the intimate side of the composer, along with the deep and lovely indebtedness of Chopin's melody to Bel Canto forebears (above all, Bellini, in Hamelin's reading). Another thing I liked about having the Berceuse first is that it is not tacked on after two big Chopin sonatas, anticlimactic, disc filler.

Hamelin then launches into the first of the big sonatas, the second, opus 35.

Let me pause to confess that of all the Chopin works, I still find the sonatas challenging to appreciate and understand. Passages that sound full of genius to my ears are followed by passages that still sound harmonically disjointed, and unlike the scherzos or ballades, the composer's allegiance to following traditional sonata forms sounds artsy and strained. In most readings, I end up thinking that Chopin would just have been better off, if he had reworked his wonderful musical materials, using something other than sonata traditions. My touchstones in the sonatas have long been the early Murray Perahia release - his first for CBS (now SONY BMG), I think. Plus the warm, poised Artur Rubinstein. Plus the very special Czech musician, Ivan Moravec. Looking at Chopin generally, I also have Michelangeli, Ohlsson, Sterczynski, Weissenberg, Argerich, Richter, Madeline Forte, and Abbey Simon on my fav shelves. Among the younger generation, Simon Trp'eski, Yundi Li, and Alexander Tharaud are keepers, no doubt. For most neglected, dark horse Chopin player, I would not hesitate to name Juana Zayas as the front running candidate. Indeed, I hear Zayas as the most neglected of the most gifted women pianists now playing in public. So, these are my markers for the sonatas, and for Chopin more widely considered.

By the end of the second sonatas, Hamelin was winning me over. Why?

To my ears - and here I probably part company with his detractors - the magical key that unlocks the doors to Hamelin's graceful estates when it comes to playing Chopin is simply, Bel Canto. He uses his immense technical resources to tackle the second sonata as if it were a collection of scenes from a long-lost, glorious Bellini opera. This may not be the only possible way to do the second sonata, genius will out. But it surely convinces my ears and heart and mind. Keeper, then. The lack of unity I have previously heard so often in performances of the sonata are now resolved in performance. Hamelin trusts the Bel Canto insight, passionately. (His Chopin is far from clinical, then, to my ears.) The sonata changes, rung on harmony, narrative, musical context (which I have repeatedly found difficult to connect in these sonatas) now make new sense as drama and character in a Bellini-like operatic scena.

The concluding presto in the second sonata is still a mysterious musical ideal to me. I've read that it is supposed to be played, so that one gets the chill of horrible winds blowing across one's grave. I can grasp that image, all right. Yet most readings I've heard so far fall short of this ideal, and end up sounding much more prosaic than the Gothic image. Not enough chill, not enough ghostly and ghastly supernaturalism, then.

Hamelin next does wonderful readings of two nocturnes (Opus 27) and the Barcarolle. These come off , all magic and fine. The Bel Canto keys are still opening rewarding musical gates.

Then we get to the third sonata. Like Hamelin's Bel Canto second sonata, it all hangs together. Now Bel Canto, translated into English, is: Beautiful Song. In this third sonata the passionate lyricism trumps all. Yes, I hear clear modern touches in Hamelin's readings. He is not that free-wheeling eccentric we can hear in Chopin playing on discs by Samson Francoise or Shura Cherkassy, for example. Again I must say that I do not find Hamelin's remarkable restraint (given the Siren Call of his huge virtuoso baggage), nor his modern concerns for sticking to the notes, at all cool or clinical or superficial. Using the Bel Canto engagements I have mentioned, Hamelin lets the music carry him - and me as a listener - away into marvelous and beautiful and yes, free, song. He opens up immense Bel Canto vistas - all wide-screen, Technicolor Bel Canto drama - that have remained curtained off and hidden to my ears, in most recordings.

I heard this disc, first on headphones, and then on the five channel home rig. On headphones I must agree that the engineering is just good enough. Given Hamelin's tonal palette on the modern grand piano, one glimpses that the engineers could have done an even better job of capturing Hamelin's sound. It is perfectly service-able; yet on headphones it yields a close up, dry aspect, short on air and hall ambiance. The air that does get through makes the venue sound fuzzy, and unfocused. Would super audio high resolution have helped? Who knows?

On the home rig, music enters the room for real. So one's listening room has a chance to redo what the recording venue as captured fails to do on this disc. The fuzzy, unfocused aspect moves farther away, and Hamelin's Bel Canto genius takes even greater wing. Maybe mp3 for portable listening?

Contrary to other nay-sayers, then, I recommend this disc. No doubt about it, for me. Hello, keeper shelves.

I'm shocked to see anything less than a 4-star review here, and frankly, I doubt that there are 10 living pianists today who could play Chopin any better than this. However, there's still the matter of personal taste, and I can see that this will not be to everyone's liking, as can be said for almost any performance of music as frequently recorded as Chopin's. I was amazed at Hamelin's restraint with some of the pieces here, he really stays away from technical fireworks and trying to dazzle too much with speed or agility. His tempi on both Nocturnes are quite relaxed, and the music rarely sounds rushed. Comparing timings on these recordings with some of the others in my library, I was surprised to find that indeed they are not slower than many others, but Hamelin manages to keep things moving forward with such ease of execution that they sound somewhat slower and more relaxed (speaking of the Nocturnes specifically, and also the finale to Sonata number 2, which comes across with a clarity I had not heard before). I was moved by these interpretations overall, and they are every bit the equal of the great recordings that have come before him. There are so many out there, that this or that element is bound to suffer from comparison with so-and-so, but at this level of playing, such "disappointments" are slight. Not to mention offset by dozens of other fabulous moments. Certainly the dexterity is in a class by itself, without sacrificing feeling. This one's a keeper.

Frederic Chopin is often called the poet of the piano and the performances by Marc-Andre Hamelin on this disc illustrate that idea beautifully. The disc begins with the Berceuse, op. 57 which is a set of 16 short variations. The piece creates a soft mood through sonority and harmonic progression.

The Second Sonata was completed at George Sand's country estate Nohant in 1839. Chopin began with the famous funeral march that had been composed two years earlier and added three new movements. Robert Schumann famously complained that the sonata had no unity. Chopin, however, was trying to create something different from the sonatas of Haydn and Beethoven and expand the ideas of the sonata form.

The two Nocturnes, op 27 were composed in 1835 and are contrasting pieces, a practice that Chopin followed for the rest of his Nocturnes. Although the Nocturnes were paired Chopin frequently performed them as separate works. The first Nocturne is lighter in tone with a dance-like middle section. The second is more introspective and melancholy. The Barcarolle, op 60 belongs to Chopin's later years. The gondolier's song was a staple in opera and lieder but not found very much in piano literature. Chopin's work is complex in its organization rather than the simple songs written for operas. The music itself reminds one of the Nocturnes but the swaying harmonies and lyricism make it a unique work.

The Third Sonata, op 58 from 1844 is among Chopin's masterpieces. Here the composer made further refinements on the so-called German sonatas. The Third is much more in conformity with Beethoven and Schubert than the revolutionary Second sonata. By contrast the Third sonata is structures with more unity and has a much more traditional rondo finale.

Marc-Andre Hamelin plays without any bombast with a sensitive reading of this music. His performance is unrushed with concentration on the subtle shadings and moods of the music. The approach to the performance is thoughtful and exploring with far less emphasis of technical dazzle. I am sure that many favorite recordings will be compared to this one but I think Marc-Andre Hamelin has proven again that he is a remarkable pianist with magnificent insight.

I was worried that with his phenomenal technique Hamelin's Chopin might be overblown. I was wrong!
I already had his previous performance of the Second Sonata which I enjoyed and so I bought this disc.
His performance here is even better and for the first time the last movement made sense. I have several performances of the sonatas on CD and his is the one I believe is the best.
His gentle playing of the shorter pieces is exceptional and show that there is another side to his genius besides the purely technical.
Buy this disc and enjoy it - YOU WILL!!
I only wait for more Chopin (particularly the Nocturnes and Ballades) and Brahms from him. I would love to hear him in Beethoven and Mozart too.

hamelin is one of the greatest living technicians, arguably one of the finest living or dead. However, his major successes have been in repretoire that allows his technical gifts to serve the music, rather than rely on intuitive renditions. With several exceptions, those discs have been largely good at best such as his Schumann, Brahms, and a Beethoven op109 available on WGHB.com. Of course, in certain moments, such as in Carnaval, he reveals things, technically, that few other pianists could even dream of achieving.
I find that this same issue holds true here. In the most technically difficult passages, such as the second mvmt to the third sonata-he is illuminating and jaw-dropping, however, in the Barcarolle and Berceuse are almost clinical. They arent bad, just in such a crowded field, they arent recomendable.
This is hamelin's second recorded version of the second sonata and it has changed somewhat, but is actually remarkably similar to his earlier account. The main difference might be tempo, since many of the same pedaling is almost identical-see the opening to the sonata, done very effectivly with masterful pedaling to achieve the utmost in tension and intensity.
The last mvmt is very different and was somewhat of a disappointment. I thought this would be Hamelins moment to shine but, as with so much on this album, the results were clinical, sterile, and uninspiring. UNlike his earlier version, he maintains a somewhat medium tempo with way, way too much pedal that makes a mess of everything. A look at the difference in timings is interesting.
1st version mvmt 1-5:16, 2-6:51
2nd mvmt-1-5:56, 2-5:48
3, 1-8:02, 2-7:26
4-1-1:32, 2-1:45

I would have to say that the first mvmt of the second sonata, and the third sonata are the most successful. The majority of my stars are awarded due to the third sonata. After the first listen, I had a similarly dissatisfied reaction as with the rest, but after three or four more times, I was increasingly impressed with the quality of the playing-such as the satiric and sad little tune that comes after the exposition. As previously mentioned, the second mvmt is taken at a bats out of hell pace, maybe the fastest on disc and is played flawless[for the most part] It is almost worth getting the disc for the third sonata alone.

To summarize, I would recommend this disc halfheartedly. IF you are new to the works there are others I would recommend first, such as Nelson Freire, Pollini, ARgerich, Gilels, Cortot, Cherkassky,Arrau, Ashkenazy, Idil Biret, Fiorentino, Francois, Katchen, and Rubinstein.

Barcarolle-Rubinstein, Cortot, Arrau, Richter
Piano Sonata 2-Nelson Freire, Pollini, Argerich
Piano Sonata 3-Nelson Freire, ARgerich, Gilels,Cherkassky
Nocturnes op27, Rubinstein, Pires, Arrau,
Berceuse- Cortot, Rubinstein, Moiseiwitsch,

"Chopin: Piano Sonatas Nos. 2 & 3; Nocturnes; Berceuse; Barcarolle is a 2009 Hyperion Records release featuring pianist Marc-André Hamelin. Classic FM Magazine and BBC Music Magazine both praise this recording and I agree with them. Jim Samson has written then music notes. Included is a photograph of Chopin in the last year of his life. Also included is a short biography of the Marc-André Hamelin. Highly recommended. 5/5.

I read the another two critics and mine own is the third. I don't understand how write a critic with three or four stars. I Think that a true artist (in this case Hamelin) don't play music, MAKE music, take risks, is not elusive for it, not for all. The nocturnes Op 27 (reference of course is Rubinstein) are played with maestry, and the Berceuse is a true chanson for the piano. Certanly the third sonata is the best in the disc, resolve all problems easy, is dancing and poetry, but not tears, is sensible. Hear this music make a travell in very lightness places and for example the second Sonata, is very dark, because the second sonata is a close moment with dead.... I see 5 stars in mediocrity realeses like Yo Yo Ma in cello Bach Suites....please, the music don't have nationalities, is universal own. And yes, Hamelin is the very fine pianist of the moment like to "critic expert persons" or not.

The greatest living pianist? Won't get into that discussion here. The greatest living wizard? Yes, that's for sure Mr Hamelin--at least as far as pianistic magic goes. There is no other pianist (living or dead) that can really challenge his achievements in Alkan or Godowsky (above all, Alkan: Concerto for solo piano; Troisième recueil de chants, and Godowsky: The Complete Studies on Chopin's Etudes, respectively). Interestingly, both these pianist-composers can be seen as parallels or extensions of Chopin's epoch-making piano writing. Hence, one could reasonably expect that Hamelin would have something to say also on the 'original'; taking Hamelin's reference Scriabin Sonatas into account further proves the point (Scriabin: The Complete Piano Sonatas).

On the other hand, his ventures into the Schumannian world have been a mixed success (Schumann: Fantasy in C major; Etudes Symphoniques; Piano Sonata No. 2, Schumann: Carnaval; Fantasiestücke; Papillons). Of course, the technical wizard is always present, showing us details missed by other pianists. However, the romantically volatile and poetic sides didn't really come out very successfully.

So, what about the jaw-dropping technical wizardry, is it permeating also Hamelin's Chopin playing? Well, I would rather say nay. Indeed, the second and fourth movements of the Third Sonata are done more effortlessly than on average--still they don't particularly stand out compared with the likes of Demidenko, Ohlsson or Kissin. Quite on the contrary, the second and fourth movements of the Second Sonata are truly disappointing; I can't hear any of the fire, magic or spookiness that abounds in the accounts by Argerich, Pogorelich and Pletnev.

Overall I agree with Ryan Morris's thoughtful observations on this release--that is until he includes Pollini, Cherkassky, Pires, Biret and Francois in his preferred versions for this repertoire. Commenting on the fourth movement of the Second Sonata, he writes 'I thought this would be Hamelins [sic] moment to shine but, as with so much on this album, the results were clinical, sterile, and uninspiring.' This is very true, but his ensuing analysis of the differences in tempo with Hamelin's first recorded version (Rachmaninov, Villa-Lobos, Chopin, Schulz-Evler) fails to take into account the fact that Hamelin observes the first movement Exposition repeat in the remake, which largely explains the c.1:35 difference in timing between the two versions. Although the 76:40 total duration of the disc is generous enough, it should be noted that Hamelin does not give us the repeats in the 'Trio' sections of the second and third movements. Why? That's a good question...

Even if I would put most of Hamelin's take on the Second Sonata on the minus side, his Third Sonata largely belongs on the plus side. The first movement's large-scale structure is in fact realised more successfully than by most other rivals. The third movement's otherworldly Nocturne surprises by bringing out some truly delicate playing from Hamelin--all the more so as his Op 27/2 is a major disappointment, where he completely fails to unravel the supple bel canto textures that make this D-flat-major masterpiece one of Chopin's most beautiful. Alas, also the Berceuse and the Barcarolle--being unmemorably middle-of-the-road rather than deficient--mostly belong together with Op 27/2 and Op 35. But I'm happy to report that the lubricated Op 27/1 Nocturne joins the Third Sonata to firmly save Hamelin from ending up below the three-star level.

Another disappointment is Hyperion's recorded sound. Andrew Keener and Simon Eadon in Henry Wood Hall is normally a safe recipe for 'soundsation'--though not in this case, where the sound is lacking both naturalness and reverberance.

To fully appreciate the mastery of (one of) the greatest living pianist(s), one needs to stick with his trademark specialties that tend to stretch slightly beyond the mainstream repertoire--at least for now as this release only passes with disappointment. (It goes without saying that Gramophone's claim that 'this is one of his very finest achievements to date' is incomprehensible.) Having said that, I still refuse to believe that this disc represents a complete picture of what Hamelin is able to achieve in Chopin. We'll just have to hope and wait for his renditions of the Opp 10 and 25 Etudes...

REFERENCES: Berceuse & Barcarolle--Ohlsson (Garrick Ohlsson - The Complete Chopin Piano Works Vol. 8 ~ Masterpieces & Miniatures); Second Sonata--Argerich (Chopin: Préludes; Piano Sonata No. 2 [Argentina]); Third Sonata--Demidenko (Chopin: Ballades; Third Sonata)