Marc-André Hamelin – Press

The jaunty theme from Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 has long provided a musical diving board: composers from Brahms to Beamish have plunged the melody beyond the violinist’s own brilliant variations. Rachmaninov’s rhapsodic experiment furthered the work’s pianistic possibilities; that dramatic lyricism is matched by Marc-André Hamelin’s grittier 2011 set, recorded for the first time here by the composer. The original melody is sharpened by rapid development; the tonality is ultimately discoloured by cluster chords and flitting harmonies.

“Pianist Marc-André Hamelin’s playing was equally sunny and wistful, melding seamlessly into the group texture outside of his cadenzas. When those solo moments did arrive, he kept the energy up not by force, but by remaining impressively light and precise.”

“Even so, there is nothing in Hamelin’s latest Hyperion album (there are 89 others) to break the rule of thumb where this splendid artist is concerned: when Hamelin plays, you stop and listen.”

“[Hamelin has a] fiery yet controlled way”

“From the most devastating virtuosity to the airiest delicacy: a piano art without comparison.”

“possessor of the universe’s most spectacular piano technique.”

“Hamelin’s effort was an engaging reminder that the pianist-composer/composer-pianist tradition (all of the night’s authors were such) remains alive and well. “

“What transpired Thursday was beguilingly songful, shapely, and warm.”

“Such intensely varied, virtuosic music naturally requires technical skill, interpretative flair and, frankly, guts.”

“”his intensely focused rendition astonished with its mercurial colors, sudden mood shifts, and technical wizardry.”

“one could feel the breadth and power”

“played with remarkable transparency”

“this was a recital of great artistry and intelligence”

“Marc-André Hamelin [delivered] artistic excellence”

“At first, Hamelin’s piano entry was almost mellow, but soon he added to the music’s mesmerising intensity with phenomenal fingerwork. He integrated beautifully with the strings, rather than stand out as a soloist, even with the piano lid up. This unity brilliantly bore out the music’s unfolding upheavals and turmoil without letting up for a moment.”

Hamelin, along with being one of the leading solo pianists on the classical scene, is also a professional musician, one who listens well, works easily with others, and can fit into many situations and styles.

Hamelin’s performance. . . was nothing short of spectacular.

“His interpretations are probing, precise and warm — keen to bring out humor when necessary. He routinely performs the world’s most treacherous repertoire with his characteristic ease.”

“Hamelin is a pianist’s pianist whose performances are always worth hearing.”

“[Hamelin has] a sophisticated palette, a deep tenderness, a mischievous sense of humour and the chameleon’s ability to convince you that he is not a classical pianist but, first and foremost, a successor to James P Johnson.”

“Throughout, Hamelin performs with a polished assurance, his playing at all times thoughtfully nuanced. His flawless technique particularly comes to the fore in such works as the presto finale of the Fantasia in C Major Wq61/6.”

“This recording is an exemplary addition to the catalogue. Not only does it shine light on music that deserves greater recognition, but it proves – if proof is needed – that despite Hamelin’s usual focus on virtuosic 19th-century repertoire, he is a master at anything he decides to approach.”

“I found myself spellbound for the duration. . . by a true Midas of the keyboard.”

“Hamelin remains a poet with whom no string player has ever failed to fall in love.”

“Another impressively ornate feather in Marc-André Hamelin’s cap.”

“That Mr. Hamelin played [Scriabin’s Fantasy in B minor and Prokofiev’s Sarcasms] with technical dazzle and wondrous subtleties made the music seem even wilder.

…Mr. Hamelin conveyed [Feinberg’s Sonata No. 3’s] craziness while playing with scintillating colors and stress-free virtuosity.

After intermission came Schubert’s late Sonata in B-flat. So, after a trip to the Russian wild side, was he settling into a sublime classic? But there was nothing safe about the probing and eloquent performance he gave.”

“He is in a class of his own in the extent to which he can make the well-nigh impossible seem effortless.”

“A consummate entertainer, Hamelin maintained a relaxed demeanor whether he was performing a delicate melody or a feverishly raucous passage.”

“With San Francisco’s biggest concert stage all to himself, he made a case for being one of the greatest artists of today.”

“This was a performance, above all, of high polish and efficiency.”

“The players hit this out of the park, rounded the bases and brought the music home in a joyous finish.”

“A master of exquisite tone as a soloist, Hamelin employed a delicate touch to create a sound that slid smoothly into the textures of the strings while maintaining clarity and his characteristically beautiful tone.”

“Hamelin brought clarity to Shostakovich’s thorny passages featuring fistfuls of notes and keyboard-spanning runs…”

“The eagerly awaited concert was breathtaking, as usual for a performance by Hamelin.”

“…Hamelin made each section sound alive with the passion that drove the composer…”

“…Marc-André Hamelin delighted with his clean, ravishingly appointed pianism.”

“…he played with exquisite nuance and thoughtful phrasing, sometimes with a touch as light as a feather, at others rippling full speed light but accurate…”

“Hamelin’s virtuosity gave the work the grandeur that popularized the work when Busoni first introduced it at the turn of the twentieth century. I think that Bach might have enjoyed it as much as those in the audience.”

“…Hamelin impressively judged the contrasts of this great work, ranging from quiet soliloquy in the right hand to fortissimo thunder in the left (including the very lowest note of the keyboard).”

“Every note on the piano had its ideal weight, its perfect timing.”

“…some rapid jazzy passages, which Hamelin rendered with feathery clarity…”

“He has the rare ability to sound like he is improvising music on the spot, like the ink is still drying on the composer’s manuscript.”

“There are outstanding recordings of these works by artists such as Schnabel, Lupu, Brendel, Curzon and Richter. This recording by Hamelin is exceptional and it deserves to be placed in the pantheon of great Schubert recordings alongside these artists.”

“…the surety of [Hamelin’s] technique matched by the poetry and jazz-blues sensitivities of his interpretation. Here was a soloist who accorded “Rhapsody in Blue” the respect and seriousness it deserves.”

“The tempos, the musicality, the virtuosity of the pianist impressed all the spectators at the highest level.”

“…Hamelin’s thoughtful originality, supported by his fully realised execution and sincerity of purpose, makes his contribution a worthy complement to them all. Very highly recommended.”

“Hamelin has delivered everything as an enchanter, attentive to the conductor and the orchestra, fully inhabited by the music that seems to cross it all.”

“[Hamelin’s] sensitive interpretations of the Sonata in B-flat major D960 and the Four Impromptus D935 will be hard to better, particular the songlike quality he brings to Impromptu No 2 in A-flat major, the right-hand melody one long line of sinuous beauty.”

“What makes Hamelin’s performance so remarkable is that he finds room for an amazing variety of color and nuance within the constricted boundaries of Feldman’s writing. That gives the piece a feeling of unfolding, even progress, while still honoring its intimations of timelessness.”

“Marc-André Hamelin presents that world of microscopic nuances with immaculate care. There’s none of the impatience that characterised Ivan Ilić’s reading of For Bunita Marcus two years ago; everything in Hamelin’s performance seems part of a natural, inevitable unfolding, and the Hyperion recording perfectly catches all its details, and clouds of decaying sonorities that colour every silence. As Hamelin shows, the empty spaces in Feldman’s piano writing are as important as the pitches themselves.”

“Beethoven and Chopin were his two finest vehicles. The former’s ‘Appassionata’ Sonata and the latter’s Sonata No. 2 he crafted into journeys ranging from poignant to exhilarating. All one could do for most of their duration was sit back and submit to the musical equivalent of two hurricanes.”

“Mr. Hamelin, having spent much of his early career exploring pianistic showpieces on the fringes of the repertory, has a commanding technique. But there was no sense of slumming or condescension. As in his brilliant recordings of Haydn sonatas for Hyperion, Mr. Hamelin approached the relative simplicities with warmth and affection.”

“the prince of pianist-composers”

“Is it possible for a pianist to be too good? If anyone faces jeopardy with that question, it’s Marc-André Hamelin… Outwardly miraculous, beneath the surface it felt as if each note’s every possibility had been considered in advance, then ensconced in a pianism of total authority.”

“Mr. Hamelin offered a typically virtuosic performance of the whirlwind, chaotic work, whose driving rhythms and cluster chords are interspersed with brief moments of pensive respite.”

“Marc-André Hamelin does perceive Schubert as a delicate, lyrical, poetic lieder-meister musician. One might say like a gentle and naïve Beethoven. He lends the Sonata the precise amount of expressive coloration it needs to reveal its charms, and diverse phrasing to prevent ennui. The 22 minute opening movement of the sonata certainly benefits from that type of approach. And unlike Sviatoslav Richter for example, he avoids a heavy-hand in even the loudest passages, and maintains well-judged proportions at all times. The leading melody is always clear and articulate, whilst the other hand always provides the appropriate counterweight.”

Pianist Marc-André Hamelin is known worldwide for his unrivaled blend of consummate musicianship, brilliant technique and his intrepid exploration of the rarities of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

Among the winners include pianist Marc-André Hamelin

“It’s probably time to add the epaulet of ‘rising composer’ to this pianist’s already imposing biography.”

Marc-André Hamelin is the cover star for the latest issue of Pianist! 

“Hamelin’s interpretations are a marvelous, moving account of this lushly complex music.”

Marc plays the Haydn Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major with the Cleveland Orchestra in Spring 2015 and this article features a brief chat with Marc on the piece.

Marc-André Hamelin sits down and talks about excavating obscure and technically demanding works.