Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4; Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 1 [Hybrid SACD - DSD]

Anton Rubinstein (Composer), Franz Xaver Scharwenka (Composer), Michael Stern (Conductor), Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra), Marc-André Hamelin (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Marc-André Hamelin
• Orchestra: Glasgow BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Michael Stern
• Composer: Anton Rubinstein, Franz Xaver Scharwenka
• Audio CD (December 13, 2005)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Hybrid SACD - DSD
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B000B865CI
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,945 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great recording from Marc-Andre Hamelin, May 20, 2006

By 

Mike Birman (Brooklyn, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Rubinstein: Piano Concerto No. 4; Scharwenka: Piano Concerto No. 1 (Audio CD)

Marc-Andre Hamelin has generated alot of excitement. His recordings for Hyperion, especially of little-known works by relatively modern composers such as Godowsky, or of concertos by Busoni and Shostakovich, are of such high quality that he was given the "high honor" of being sole classical performer during a recent Grammy Awards telecast (2001). Hamelin's piano technique on this recording is little short of stunning. There are moments that sound as if he had 20 fingers, his attack is that fiendishly fast and powerful. Pianists will respond much like guitarists upon first hearing Segovia or Joe Pass: an urgent desire to cut the strings. Yet Hamelin never subsumes expressiveness in favor of technique. These performances are tasteful and appropriate. Big emotions in the broadly Romantic Rubinstein. More introspection in the lesser-known but excellent Scharwenka. Michael Stern conducts the fine BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with fire and taste: a perfect foil for the intense technique that Hamelin exhibits. Both concertos are quite good. Hyperion's superb Romantic Piano Concerto series continues from strength to strength, with hardly any loss in quality over the years.

The Hybrid Multichannel SACD sounds spectacular. The sound is immediate, full and warm from all 5.1 channels. The rear channels contain more than the usual ambiance. One feels immersed in music. The horns are especially present. The piano is recorded center front, with the orchestra slightly behind and surrounding it. It is well focused with a wide soundstage. Good sound systems will enjoy being shown off with this SACD. This recording is a gem. Pianists, especially, will treasure it: even as Hamelin's scary technique infuriates them.

Mike Birman