Search - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Frederic Chopin, Claude Debussy :: Robert Hamilton

A long awaited recording.....

David S. Murray | Riverside, CA USA | 12/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Robert Hamilton is perhaps an unfamiliar name, but one that truly deserves to be better known. For those unlucky enough not to have heard him live, this recording, which ranges from world premiere recordings to new takes on classic repertoire, is a delightful substitute.Hamilton's Mozart is a transcendant experience - especially his performance of the K. 511 Rondo. Sensitivity and emotion drive his performance, culminating in perhaps the best recording of this work to date. The same can be said for his recording of Debussy's Images I, an often recorded and performed piece which Hamilton infuses with a freshness I would not have thought possible - it was as if I was hearing the work for the first time.Hamilton's take on Chopin's Fourth Ballade is unconventional and possibly controversial, similar in sound and taste to Moravec's recording. In this performance Hamilton seems to be striving for more coloristic effects than for line, and succeeds in creating a truly original interpretation. Not for everyone, but definitely worth listening to.The world premiere recording of Harvey-Aurandt's Sonata is interesting and thought-provoking. The work itself is strongly in the Rachmaninoff vein, almost constituting a "lost" third piano sonata. The highlight of the work is the first movement, which opens aggressively and doesn't let its guard down once. This work is a study in technical acrobatics and endurance, and I was - and am - amazed at the excellence of Hamilton's technical skill.Do yourself a favor and buy this recording. You will not regret the experience."