Search - Marc-Andre Hamelin, Rachmaninoff, Villa-Lobos :: Piano

An unconditional tour-de-force of pianistic pyrotechnics.

03/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"There is no finer pianist before the public today than M. Hamelin. No one with finer technique. No one with a more catholic breadth of repertoire. No one more devoted to the sonic possibilities of the instrument as an interpreter. This disc presents an amazing selection of substantial, yet not quite mainstream selections of 20th century repertoire. A noted virtuoso, M. Hamelin eschews go-for-broke brilliance on the Rachmaninoff, which is the 1931-32 revision. This is wise, for the paradigm is the performance of Vladimir Horowitz, to whom Rachmaninoff, himself, deferred in this work. Instead, Hamelin mines this sonata for its beautifully wrought thematic content, overcoming its technical challenges not as an end in themselves, but in the course of exposing the music beyond them. The Villa-Lobos is a totally sui generis work, written for Artur Rubinstein, that's loaded with the Brazilian rhythm and colors unique to this composer. I could go on, but you get the point: a brilliantly chosen recital brilliantly played. All you have to do is get the disc. p.s. The sound is a tad harsh, as is the way of untempered digital recording. No matter. Your ear will quickly adjust."