Customer Reviews

In a State of Jazz

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

 

 

Shades of Art Tatum! Marc-André Hamelin must have incredible virtuosic hands and a quick brain to have performed such demanding works. Modern classical composers have been influenced by jagged jazz tempos and structures...we quickly think of Gershwin, Stravinsky, Ravel, Milhaud, and Bernstein, and jazz musicians have an unusually high regard for classical music. Composer Friedrich Gulda is featured here, and like Andre Previn, has feet in both realms. His exercises or etudes helped him to get away from the rigidity of classical forms. Nikolai Kaspustin's Sonata No. 2, of 1989 vintage is a marvel from Russia. The liner notes provides a long statement by Alexis Weissenberg about the development of his highly complex Sonate en état de jazz. The concluding brief piece by George Antheil is full of wit, nonsense, and joy. As Weissenberg observes, a state of jazz is not a normal state but a drunkenness of the soul operating within a cubist logic. If you love both jazz and classical music, you will especially dig this album. If jazz is terra incognita, buy it anyway and enjoy the splendor!

This is an excellent choice for those who enjoy piano and jazz. The cuts do not bore and haven't so far gotten old to my ear - I've listened to this CD almost constantly since I received it and I hear something different each time. I had been to a recital by Hamelin at which he played Sonata in a State of Jazz and was intrigued by both his ability and the work. The quality of this recording is superb and he is a master at this genre. For jazz lovers, or even those who crave something a little different, I recommend this CD.

First heard on Canadian radio, I was lucky to find it at AMazon. (where else?) As a long time listener to what is erroniously called "classical" music, I have found the clarity of expression in this CD amazing. Mr. Hamelin's renditions are a marvel of dexterity, and the Kapustin Sonata No 2 is so full of ear worms that I don't know whether to be angry or hopelessly in love. On a scale of five stars, 17!

Marc-Andre Hamelin's jazz CD is fabulous! I was totally unfamiliar with the works on this CD and, as usual, Hamelin never ceases to amaze me both in his facility, but also his superb interpretations! I can't even imagine these works played better.

This is a schintillating recital inspired by all sorts of jazz-styles. Hamelin's playing is belief-defying in dexterity and marvellous in the acute sense of rhythm. The highlight of the disc is Nikolai Kapustin's Sonata No. 2, a brilliantly original work. It's a hugely enjoyable CD if you love classical and jazz music both.

4+ out of 5. Great record. Hamelin is technically and expressively impressive, as always. This disc would be an excellent change change of pace for anyone on either the jazz or the classical side of the river. However, smooth jazz and classical greatest hits afficionados are advised to look elsewhere.

It's Hamelin. The playing is good. No better than Previn, but good. But this (as the album says) is jazz. And I have never liked jazz. Which and how many of these ecstatic reviews said even non jazz buffs will like it? This one doesn't. This is the 2nd time in a month I've followed reviews to an expensive disaster. The first was an expensive 2 disc collection of Horowitz which the reviewer said was Horowitz at his neurotic best and a brilliant example of pianism. As someone I used to know said of Liszt, it was "soggy fireworks". $38 worth. I never liked Horowitz and I never liked jazz. Most of my reviews chalk up dozens of "unhelpfuls". That just means they didn't agree, liked (or disliked) what I didn't (or did). Phooey!

My review: This is adequately played jazz. If you like jazz, you may like it. If you don't, you probably won't.