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Joined: Mar 2013
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On my screen, your thread title reads "Marc-Andre Hamelin doesn’t seem to find anything difficult." Must be another glitch from the update the other day - I'm assuming you didn't type it that way.  Edit: How'd you fix it?
Regards,
Polyphonist
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OP
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thanks, I have already fixed it.
thanks, Polyphonist
- fixed it again as I didn't copy the complete URL.
Last edited by Michael_99; 11/27/13 12:40 AM.
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The link doesn't work, either. Use [url][/url] tags on either side of the address.
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OP
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I posted and then I wanted to check that I had the URL correct so after posting it, I clicked on the URL but I have a very slow computer so it took me a couples of minutes to display the article, so then I went back to the PW post and realized the error in the subject line and I knew that "&" and characters usually means punctuation - so I deleted the characters and corrected the heading and went back to look at it and you had already posted my error globally on the internet (laughing) - noticed my error! - and the rest is history.
jefferyjones, it is a bad history alright. thanks for your post. I hope it is still working.
cheers,
3N26PY
Last edited by Michael_99; 11/27/13 12:41 AM.
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Any link, however long, can be shortened and re-named as you choose. Example : Marc-Andre Hamelin Regards,
BruceD
- - - - -
Estonia 190
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The one time I saw him in concert, he was having an off day, and seemed to find everything difficult!! (Although you could hear even behind that what a great artist and technique was at work-one of the best in the world)
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Hamelin clearly is a marvel and is operating on another level than any other musician of this era (and possibly previous eras as well, a frightening thought), but probably only slightly higher than the level occupied by other historical giants such as Argerich, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Richter, etc. He's also human and makes plenty of mistakes. He has a unique approach to his interpretations which possess pros and cons in purely aesthetic terms and aren't always superior to his contemporaries. His repertoire stays within the confines of romantic and modern for the most part, leaving much of the world of music to the tastes of other great pianists of the 21st century.
It is perplexing at just how well he excels at every aspect of musicianship and how someone can BE on their own level in anything. What a lucky man to be born with the brain of a composer, the hands and dexterity of a super virtuoso, and the physical and mental well-being required for sustained artisanship! But I'm sure Hamelin thinks, "who cares?" I'm sure he's happy to be a servant to the music, same as everyone else. And I'm sure he's very grateful for the gifts that are his and will continue using them to their fullest potential.
Danzas Argentinas, Alberto Ginastera
Piano Sonata Hob. XVI: 34 in E Minor, Franz Joseph Haydn
Nocturne, Op. 15 No. 1 in F Major, Frédéric Chopin
Prelude, Op. 11 No. 4 in E Minor, Alexander Scriabin
Prelude and Fugue in G Major, Well-Tempered Clavier Vol. 2, Johann Sebastian Bach
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Midgette clearly doesn't want to give him a bad review. But she should have, if the Medtner didn't work. It's far from just being "pure virtuoso stuff" and it should be a gripping experience for the listener. IMO, you shouldn't even notice the "virtuoso" aspect in a good performance of it. And she makes excuses for his Schubert, too. It's pretty weird that she had to find his attempt poignant because it was outside of his comfort zone. Critics really shouldn't have to bend over backwards quite that far in order to find something nice to say.
Last edited by wr; 11/27/13 08:01 AM.
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The first and only time I heard him was at the wigmore hall in London last year. He played Ive's Concord sonata and a few others that I cannot remember. He was the best pianist I have heard in my life in concert in my limited experience. He chose the first movement of Mozart sonata as an anchor piece. I think it was 545 the one everyone seems to play as their first mozart sonata. When he said the name of the piece audience got a chuckle - as many of you know that the hall attracts more experienced classical music fans. Anyway he delivered it incredibly artistically. The rendered the scale part incredibly fast but it was not to the point of glissando at all. Each note was clear like bell but it was like liquid fast with a quality of velvet. Over it the singing melody flow throught it. I felt bliss and ecstatic. I have never heard anything like that. I happened to hear the same piece as an anchor at a Steinway event in my city catered to young crowd. The Steinway artist (adult) played it textbook perfect in the way I was taught to play when I was younger. I realized that The Steinway artist performance was that of an excellent human performance. Marc's was , for the lack of words, beyond human.
Last edited by FarmGirl; 11/27/13 12:24 PM.
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My teacher says that Hamelin has "the best hands in the business".
Which is a complement, sure, but also a bit of a slight I think.
-J
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Wow! The number of people here who look for any perceived (or imagined) slight from any review or comment. He 'is a great virtuoso' (read: he can play fast and accurately, but has no musicianship). He 'plays with great musicality' (read: he tries to compensate for his inadequate technique by over-doing the expression). He 'wows the audience' (read: he is just a showman, and the audience obviously are so shallow that they don't know a real pianist from a charlatan). He 'plays with great beauty of tone' (read: all he can do is produce some nice sounds from the piano, with no depth or understanding of the music). Of course, I'm just a simple uncynical guy, and always assume that people say what they mean, and mean what they say, unless there is evidence to the contrary - that they are beating about the bush, or hedging their bets, or trying to say something between their lines, or speaking in code, or is being ironic, or sarcastic, or....... 
If music be the food of love, play on!
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I'm impressed that he writes his own music. So many concert pianists don't do that anymore... Or if they do you'll never hear it.
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Which honestly I find quite strange. I've always felt that writing music helps a great deal with interpreting music.
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I'm impressed that he writes his own music. So many concert pianists don't do that anymore... Or if they do you'll never hear it. You got it. How many pianist-composers can live up to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Liszt, Bartók, Busoni, Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev, Rachmaninov et al? (And these are just the ones more famous for their composing than for their playing). Unless you're Cziffra, Horowitz, Pletnev, Hough, Volodos....or Hamelin, with a real gift for composing, you're not going to foist your own creations beside those of the greats in your concerts. (Many concert pianists probably have stacks of their own compositions hidden away from prying eyes, locked up in a drawer in their homes.) Apart from playing your own cadenzas for Mozart concerts, maybe, which many concert pianists do, with varying degrees of success.
If music be the food of love, play on!
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Thank you for linking to that review. Hamelin is coming to Toronto in January with "Night Wind" on the programme, so I enjoyed reading a review of his performance. 'm really looking forward to it. The only thing better would be to have Medtner's "Sonata Reminiscenza" instead, which for me is the highest Medtner ever got.
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as much as i admire hamelin's performances i've always found them, erm, safe(?).
maybe safe is the wrong word, but i sometimes get the feeling that he's great at everything and yet hasn't really mastered anything (just writing that sounds stupid considering what an amazing pianist he is).
Maybe a bit over-exaggerated but that's the feeling i've always got, it's like if i wanted to hear a piece played the way it should be played i'd listen to Hamelin, but if i wanted to hear how it could be played i look elsewhere.
All theory, dear friend, is grey, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.
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The only thing better would be to have Medtner's "Sonata Reminiscenza" instead, which for me is the highest Medtner ever got. I love that piece! but first movement of sonata romantica is the highest he ever got... :P
All theory, dear friend, is grey, but the golden tree of life springs ever green.
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The first and only time I heard him was at the wigmore hall in London last year. He played Ive's Concord sonata and a few others that I cannot remember. He was the best pianist I have heard in my life in concert in my limited experience. He chose the first movement of Mozart sonata as an anchor piece. I think it was 545 the one everyone seems to play as their first mozart sonata. When he said the name of the piece audience got a chuckle - as many of you know that the hall attracts more experienced classical music fans. Anyway he delivered it incredibly artistically. The rendered the scale part incredibly fast but it was not to the point of glissando at all. Each note was clear like bell but it was like liquid fast with a quality of velvet. Over it the singing melody flow throught it. I felt bliss and ecstatic. I have never heard anything like that. I happened to hear the same piece as an anchor at a Steinway event in my city catered to young crowd. The Steinway artist (adult) played it textbook perfect in the way I was taught to play when I was younger. I realized that The Steinway artist performance was that of an excellent human performance. Marc's was , for the lack of words, beyond human. I was there too. Wonderful concert. He also played Brahms's third piano sonata (and it was fabulous). I agree with your impressions of the K545 - best rendition I've ever heard. Wished he'd played the repeats! edit: No, wait - you went last year, I see. I went this year. I got confused because you mentioned the Ives and the K545.
Last edited by The Hound; 11/27/13 06:37 PM.
Working on:
Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 21 in C major, Op. 53 ("Waldstein")
Chopin - Op. 9 No. 3 in B major
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Steingraeber B-192
Kawai CA97
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I am counting days to see MAH in NYC on January 27 with "Night Wind" and his own barcarolle. Love the Wind, Ballada, Reminiscenza slightly above others, but I find the whole green Medtner sonata collection by Hamelin extremely enjoyable to listen.
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