Customer Reviews

Marc-André Hamelin plays Liszt

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The Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, born in 1961, is a unique blend of the characteristics of two very disparate keyboard masters: the British John Ogdon (1937-1989) and the Italian Maurizio Pollini (b. 1942). Like Ogdon, Hamelin relishes the big and complex pieces, the hard-to-find-and-even-harder-to-perform scores, the fiendish obstacles posed by the arcane music of Alkan, Godowsky, Busoni, Ives and Sorabji; the more difficult and complicated the music, the more Hamelin revels in it. And in the manner of Pollini, Hamelin displays an absolutely smooth pianism, a notable architectural grasp of the work at hand and an affinity for modern/contemporary music, as evidenced by his excursions through Villa-Lobos, Shostakovich, Barber, Shchedrin and Rzewsky, amongst others. And, like both Ogdon and Pollini, Hamelin envelops everything he plays with one of the most all-embracing techniques in instrumental history.

Here, we have Hamelin in more conventional fare. In this Liszt programme, the pianist proves equally adept at the high Romantic repertoire. Indeed, from the rollicking bravura of the Hungarian rhapsodies to the pre-Debussyan hues of late pieces like Nuages Gris, Hamelin shows commendable flair and idiomatic understanding, along with the expected technical mastery. If all the works on this CD are expertly delivered, two stand out as paramount achievements. One is the Don Juan Fantasy, as fearsome a finger-twister as any in the literature, which Hamelin tosses off with an incendiary ease and accuracy not to be found even in Simon Barere's legendary recordings of the piece. The other is the Hungarian Rhapsody n. 2, a work which has elicited cadenzas and other embelishments from many giants of the piano like Sergei Rachmanivov, Alfred Cortot, Benno Moiseiwitsch and Vladimir Horowitz (who famously rewrote the "Friska" section to superhuman effect). Hamelin arguably trumps them all with a supercadenza of his own devising, an extravagant variation-like concoction of octaves, leaps and other technical stunts that must be one of the most extraordinary feats of virtuosity ever put on record. The effect is thrilling, totally in keeping with the structure of the rhapsody and nearly incredible.

Marc-Andre Hamelin's pianistic powers beggar description, but he is much more than a fantastic workman. Serious and scholarly, his interpretations are always tempered by intelectual rigour and impeccable musicianship.

Playing the piano isn't easy. 'Really, for sure (as one wouldn't know!)?' Yes, definitely for sure. Playing Bach and Beethoven isn't easy--playing Ravel and Messiaen even more so--playing Scriabin and Rachmaninov yet even more so--but perhaps the most difficult composers to play are Chopin and Liszt. 'Why is that?' Because their music is so masterfully composed with such immaculate understanding of the instrument. I would assert that throwing a Chopin or Liszt Etude or Ballade is the ultimate calling card to verify whether or not we're dealing with an accomplished pianist.

In recent years, it has been increasingly acknowledged that Marc-Andre Hamelin probably is the overall most accomplished pianist currently alive--technically as well interpretatively. 'Why then has it taken such time for people to pick that up--or even more to the point, why are there still so many allegedly learned musical people who refuse to recognise it?' Well, my guess is the reason being the fact that Hamelin has focused almost exclusively on lesser-known works and composers, often so technically demanding that few other pianists have bothered even trying, hence, limiting the material for comparisons. 'Any examples?' Try any of his Alkan, Godowsky or Medtner and you will instantly know.

Against that background, this Liszt recital from 1996 is all the more welcome. I think I'll just spell it out for you right away: I don't think there is any other living (or dead) pianist that can play Liszt like this--at least I haven't been able find any evidence pointing in any other direction. 'Can you elaborate, please.' Well, I haven't heard any other pianist being able to negotiate all the myriad notes Liszt throw at the performer with such complete and unforced ease. 'But his interpretations are not as profound as the likes of Arrau, Berman or Bolet!' Wrong again, they are actually even more profound as Hamelin, by simple logic, finds himself more relative room to bring out the profoundness of the interpretations. 'But his 13th Hungarian Rhapsody is more boring than Cziffra's!' Yes, indeed it is--until reaching the Vivace section, which is boiling and sparkling like no other version. As a matter of fact, virtually every single performance on this CD sets new standards--most notably so Waldesrauschen, Un Sospiro, the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody and probably most of all Reminiscences de Don Juan.

All-in-all, here you have amongst the most consummate Liszt playing imaginable--so good that it sort of makes some people alienated or perhaps envious. At least, that's a way of trying to understand such silly labels like 'Focused on Virtuosity', 'the glass is half empty', 'Brilliant but flawed' or 'Technically superb, musically moribund'. All the same, these are better just ignored as they rather reflect shortcomings in the respective reviewers rather than this recording.

The Wigmore Hall recording leaves little to be desired. 'But 62:37 is short measure these days!' Then, jump right into Hamelin's bonus cadenza for the 2nd Hungarian Rhapsody and you'll find yourself gasping, jaw-dropping and cheering for another 10 or 15 minutes. Rest assured that you won't find higher pleasurable returns per invested unit of money than this Liszt recital.

After searching for this recording on Amazon.com and finding - to my shock - that it was currently averaging only 3 stars, I felt it was my duty to step in and defend it, as it's one of Hamelin's best, and Liszt to rival any modern interpreter.

This is a great recording, and you shouldn't hesitate to buy it for one second. I suppose the previous reviewer must have an extremely short attention span, because I wasn't bored for one second, and was in fact utterly fascinated by every second of this amazing disc. His/her comparison of Hamelin to a "circus act" was ridiculous.

He plays with an intellect 99% of the "great" pianists can't approach, and his jaw-dropping technique, while flawless, is totally in service of the music. His virtuosity is mind-boggling, but it's not showy, self-indulgent virtuosity like Horowitz, it's merely a means to an end, serving to convey the music in as direct and meaningful a way as possible. Hamelin lets you focus on the music and forget the performance. This is much more than a keyboard stunt show, it's a recital of well thought out and brilliantly executed interpretations of some of the most well known, and some of the more obscure, Liszt repertoire.

As with just about everything Hamelin records, he pretty much blows away the competition with every piece. "Waldesrauschen" is unbelievably fluid and perfect, by far the best rendering I've ever heard. Un sospiro is, to my mind, a bit rushed with not enough rubato, but crystal clear and a pleasure to listen to. The Hungarian rhapsodies are probably the most rock-solid performances you'll hear...No comparison to the electrifying over-the-top virtuosity of Cziffra but Hamelin's crazy cadenza to the second rhapsody is topped only by Volodos' insane transcription of the piece. Nuages gris and En reve are appropriately quiet and meditative. The Don Juan fantasy is the definitive recording of that piece. I've heard most of the alternatives and Hamelin's is the best.

Incidentally, I bought this disc at one of Hamelin's concerts here in my hometown of Nelson, BC, as part of the "Piano Six tour." He's as amazing live as he is in his recordings.

I don't hesitate to label Marc Andre Hamelin as one of the most notable exponents of the keyboard (and in my personal view, among the ten twelve major pianists of the world at this moment).

He is gifted with a sidereal technique, he posseses refinement, imagination and that Dyonisian spirit so desirable but almost extinguished in most of pianists actually.

In musical terms he might be regarded as an accurate blend of Joseph Hoffman, Louis Kentner and Earl Wild.

These performances are hovered by a magnificent touch of mercurial energy, charm, grace, expressiveness and profound lyric effluvium. Just a few pianists are so capable to play such sforzanods with such brutal of expresson on the left hand. Those low bars emind me to Nyireghihazi, and that's far beyond a simple emotional statement.

So, in case you are looking for for a Liszt played with fertile imagination, supreme good taste and unerring temperament, go for this CD. It will reward you!

The debate over hamelin will go on for a while yet... Those who disparage his reputation by branding him a 'mere technician' do so because of a misunderstanding; to be acquainted with the Hamelin idiom is not a one-step process, and many listeners cannot make the hurdle PAST the consideration of his mechanical abilities to see that his realizations are, in their own way, flawless. There are several reasons for the differences in oppinion. For one thing, Hamelin never strays far from the score. To quote an early review of Josef Hofmann, "He is so normal as to baffle the critics altogether..."; Many other pianists force on us their own interpretation, and tradition has accustomed us to that. Hamelin, who developed as a pianist largely isolated from the mold of tradition, plays with an original, organic interpretation gathered FROM the score, which many find unusual.

For another thing, Hamelin plays music that interests him personally, and much of that is music that will be called "lacking in substance". The listeners making that statement missed another point: there is more to musical substance than profound, heaven-probing gravities a la Brahms or Beethoven. There is a musical world of FUN, of recklessness, of complexity, that alienates many of them. Hamelin's cadenza to the Liszt 2nd Rhapsody bears this out. Passages are combined in different keys, there are mockeries of Liszt's octaves and filigree written in, and it is technically baffling.

Well, all things to all men, but to those in the know... fantastic!

Like many others, I have been stunned by Hamelin's technique. Few pianists are capable of imitating his apparent ease in dispatching the most difficult repertoire. As is said, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and Hamelin indeed begins to raise an eyebrow when the going gets impossible.

Until this CD, I had yet to hear Hamelin in 'normal' repertoire. His Medtner, Scriabin, Reger, Chopin-Godowsky etc. have little competition. Yet with these pieces Hamelin pitches himself against many recording artists. I listened to Un Sospiro first, to get a hint of what Hamelin would do with this heavenly 'sigh'. As much as one can marvel at the evenness and speed of the swaying arpeggios, I doubt whether Liszt would've made the ladies swoon if he'd played it in the same way. Onto the Hungarian Rhapsodies. These too, complete with Hamelin Cadenzas, are fast and inhumanely accurate. Yes the Cadenza is impressive, but only because of its difficulty - it doesn't charm or inspire. It bewilders.

And that surely is the difference between people like Horowitz, and Hamelin. Listening to Horowitz makes me want to try and imitate what he does - Thundering chords and cheeky colourings etc. Yet listening to Hamelin doesn't have the same effect. Admittedly, he has possibly the greatest technique witnessed on the piano, but it doesn't musically inspire. When practising a piece, I never think 'I'll try and make the sort of noise Hamelin makes for this chord', whereas pianists such as Hough, Zayas, Volodos and Perahia provide me with a plethora of ideas. (...)

When I listened to this CD for the first time, I was truly blown away. Not only this, but I knew that people would slate Hamelin's playing for being 'too technically orientated, or lacking 'soul'', which I personally think is an absolute load of nonsense.

Never have I heard such natural, controlled interpretations of Liszts music. Where many pianists have suffered under the immense technical demands of pieces such as Hungarian rhapsody No2, and the Reminiscences de Don Juan, Hamelin effortlessly succeeds. However there is so much more to his playing than this, contrary to what has been said on many of the reviews on this page. people seem almost offended by his level of natural intuition, his innovativity (is that a word??!), his innate musicality. Eveything on this disc, and I mean everything, has been intimately thought about and polished to the point of jaw dropping control and authority. The final product is truly wonderful.

His Un Sospiro is faster than usual - yet it feels so natural. It really sounds as though the piano is breathing (Un Sospiro translates as - A sigh). Alot of people have been incapable of playing this piece at full speed simply because of the technical difficulty (myself included). Hamelin's interpretation however, is relentless in its tempo and ultimately sensitive in its structure. Beautiful.

The Hungarian Rhapsody number 10 - not well known at all, in fact the only other recording I have heard is by Cziffra, which I love as well. However, one can not get around the basic fact that Hamelin's recording is better. His tone, his control, his sense of humour, all shine in this piece. The middle section, quite simply composed of ascending and descending scales played at light speed, is sloppy and wild in Cziffra's recording. It is for this type of composing that Liszt was slated by is contemporaries - but I believe that he was focussing on a different type of composition. He was concerned not so much with harmony, and progressiveness in his music, but more with timbre, and creating sound effects on the keyboard. Hamelin bears this out in his middle section, playing elegantly, and at a quite simply baffling speed. Hearing him move his fingers this fast is hilarious, and he does it on purpose - he's a joker.

His Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 is wonderful. His rubato is natural, his dynamics in the opening movement are sensitive, and above all beautiful. His own cadenza is fantastic - where alot of people believe the way to a musical end is to trawl through pages and pages of Beethoven and Bach etc, Hamelin stays in the spirit of Liszt and concerns himself with other musical ideas. This is my favourite recording of this piece.

The Don Juan fantasy is staggering. Where the opening of the piece can drag on if it is played too slowly, Hamelin takes it up a notch. The excitement, the trauma, the utter and absolute bliss just shine through at every possible moment - the second variation especially. His gentleness of touch, the rubato, it really is as if he were telling a story with his playing. You can feel his excitement as he gloriously plays through pages and pages of this rich and beautiful music. The final encounter is magic - the level of difficulty in the closing pages of this piece is really ridiculous, but as usual Hamelin storms through with seeming ease and musical intelligence of someone twice his age and experience.

Enough ranting - Mr. Hamelin, you are the finest pianist of today. Just because he is not a traditionalist gives no one the right to slate his playing - I have always been a firm believer that one should judge something for what it is, not for what it isnt. Bearing this in mind, I will be surprised if you dont fall in love with his playing just as I have. Now to listen to my new Alkan CD :D

As others have stated, it is highly unlikely that any modern pianist can match Hamelin's brilliant technique. This recording verifies beyond the shadow of a doubt that he can play Liszt with incredible authority, control, and accuracy. To give him credit, his versions are also highly original. I have never heard anything like these before! However, the quest for originality can go too far. The first three tracks are beautiful and played wonderfully, with the partial exception of the "Un Sospiro", which is played too fast. Hamelin does, unfortunately, tend to ignore the emotional impact of all of these pieces, making them rather dry and expressionless. He adds excellent breadth to the works, but seems to lack depth. After this, Hamelin falters -- not technically, where he is still brilliant, but in the interpretation. The Hungarian Rhapsodies are played at almost breakneck speed -- especially the famous second. This is the work with which most listeners will be the most familiar, so it should, theoretically, absolutely shine. The introduction to the piece is marked "Lento ed a capriccio", then "Andante mesto." Neither of these are fast at all, but Hamelin plays them at a brisk Allegretto at least. His tempo is also horrifyingly uneven through certain sections, as if he was trying for expressive rubato, but failing miserably. When he finally gets to the "Tempo giusto - Vivace" section, he is nearly at presto, but this, to me, is forgivable. But out of the blue he adds jerky and distracting eight or sixteenths rest that aren't in the music, or overexaggerates the ones that are already present. His cadenza, though, while impressive, sounds terribly out of place. The second he starts it, one can tell that this is no longer Liszt. A cadenza, in my opinion, should blend with a piece, not stick out like a sore thumb. The rest of the disc is played relatively well, with the "Don Juan" sounding particularly virtuosic, yet still almost inhuman. Instead of trying to be so wickedly fast and over-whelming, I think that Hamelin should focus on putting more sensitivity into his playing. If he was to succeed, he could possibly be the greatest pianist of the century.

This album which oddly doesn't display the fact was recorded live. That is no cuts splices or retakes. All at once. When you listen to with this in mind its the greatest Liszt album you will ever hear. I admit hamelin is holding notes for their full value, so don't expect your typical tacky vapid dysplay. Oh no, here we have something completely different. Liszt with dignity, class, style and an almost angelic quality. An absolutely new form of interpreting the composer and spectacular all the way. Everything on this disc is super fast and fluid well shaped and played. My only complaint is the love scene in the don juan was not quite flexible enough. Another thing, I have noticed the hyperion micing does not respond well to all types of sound systems. On a boombox I am sure most of their piano recordings will sound overpedalled so try a big reciever with various filters to take out some of the after sound.

I guess it's time for Hamelin to quit playing the piano before he makes all other pianists, past and present, look like clumsy amateurs. I think Hamelin is a mean person who should be arrested for murdering the reputation of the most cherished piano legends. Someone please stop this man!