Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Theme Andante
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation I L'istesso tempo
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation II (sempre espress. ed assai legato)
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation III Grave assai
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation IV Vivace
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation V Vivace
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation Vl Allegro molto
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation VII Adagio
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation VIII Vivace
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation IX Grave e sempre molto espressivo
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation X Poco vivace
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation XI Allegro agitato
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation XII Andante sostenuto
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation XIII Vivace
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Variation XIV Con moto
Variations And fugue On A Theme Of Johann Sebastian Bach, Op 81: Fugue Sostenuto
Five Humoresques, Op 20: No 1 Allegretto grazioso - piu meno mosso - tempo primo
Five Humoresques, Op 20: No 2 Presto - Andante - Presto
Five Humoresques, Op 20: No 3 Andantino grazioso - Meno mosso -Tempo primo
Five Humoresques, Op 20: No 4 Prestissimo assai - Meno mosso - Prestissimo assai
Five Humoresques, Op 20: No 5 Vivace assai - Piu tranquillo -Tempo primo
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Theme Tempo di Minuetto
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation I (L'istesso tempo)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation II (L'istesso tempo)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation III (L'istesso tempo) (Sherzando)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation IV (L'istesso tempo)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation V (Non troppo vivace)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation VI (Non troppo vivace)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation VII (quasi Tempo primo)
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation VIII Tempo primo
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation IX Non troppo vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation X Quasi adagio
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XI Quasi adagio
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XII Poco vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XIII Tempo primo
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XIV Meno vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XV Andante
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XVI Adagio
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XVII Poco andante
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XVIII Tempo primo
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XIX Poco vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XX Poco vicace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XXI Poco vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XXII Vivace
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Variation XXIII Poco Andante - Molto adagio
Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Georg Philipp Telemann, Op. 134: Fugue Vivace con spirito - Meno mosso
Even world-class virtuosos exhibit some hint of strain in these technically murderous works, but Hamelin sails through them with superhuman aplomb. Inevitably, a dimension of the music is lost, since struggle is central to... more » Reger's concept. But there's so much more in compensation, as unhindered fluidity of movement and a refusal to allow technical limitations to dictate tempos give Hamelin the freedom to dig beneath the notes. He also disproves the stereotype of Reger's keyboard music as clotted, revealing these works to be shapely explorations of variation form. From the baroque models, Reger constructs a vast, complex edifice, which Hamelin elucidates with thrilling virtuosity and coherence. Excellent sound, too. A don't-miss CD for piano buffs and devotees of keyboard romanticism. --Dan Davis« less
Even world-class virtuosos exhibit some hint of strain in these technically murderous works, but Hamelin sails through them with superhuman aplomb. Inevitably, a dimension of the music is lost, since struggle is central to Reger's concept. But there's so much more in compensation, as unhindered fluidity of movement and a refusal to allow technical limitations to dictate tempos give Hamelin the freedom to dig beneath the notes. He also disproves the stereotype of Reger's keyboard music as clotted, revealing these works to be shapely explorations of variation form. From the baroque models, Reger constructs a vast, complex edifice, which Hamelin elucidates with thrilling virtuosity and coherence. Excellent sound, too. A don't-miss CD for piano buffs and devotees of keyboard romanticism. --Dan Davis
CD Reviews
Hamelin-Reger?
John G. Harkness | Toronto, Ontario Canada | 03/13/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Every classical music fan has a short list of "missing" ecordings -- dream pairings of artist and repertoire that for one reason or another, never materialized. Why, we ask, is there no pirate tape of Furtwangler conducting Beethoven's Missa Solemnis? Or, to go to my list, no Glenn Gould recording of Max Reger's monumental Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Bach. Reger was a very serious German composer at the turn of the century with a Bach fixation that extended to writing six extended pieces for solo violin.His piano music, which is playful in an academic way, leans towards variation sets and fugues, an odd place indeed to find Canadian pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin, a specialist in the strange byways of the romantic piano. This is a typically good-sounding Hyperion piano recording, and Hamelin's playing has a romantic richness of tone that I'm not sure is entirely appropriate to the music, but I was raised on the austerity of Rudolf Serkin's rather severe 1986 CBS recording. The coupling is a similarly grand traversal of the Telemann Variations, which to my ears lacks the playfulness of Jorge Bolet's London recording."
Virtuosic and permanently satisfying also
R. J. Stove | Gardenvale, Victoria Australia | 03/18/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"There are pianists and then there is Marc-Andre Hamelin. This man's reputation for technical genius is justified, but he's got brains too. Which is only appropriate, as Reger's sheer braininess is his best-known characteristic.
Ordinarily I should have preferred a slightly more resonant recording than Hyperion's - if Hamelin's tonal palette didn't have such a Richter-like range, he would run the risk of dryness - but at least with such hyper-lucid sound you get to hear every, and I mean every, detail in a permanently satisfying manner. The playing is stunningly virtuosic. Hardly any other pianist in any era could play this music at all; no other pianist, it's safe to conclude, could play it better.
When I hear CDs like this one, I bend the knee to thank God that I have no ambitions of earning my living at the piano. Very illuminating booklet notes complete a superb package."
Outstanding, simply outstanding!
R. J. Stove | 05/23/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Reger's "Variations and Fugue on a Theme by G.P. Telemann" ranks as one of the finest large scale sets of piano variations ever composed. Interestingly, both the original theme and the set of variations represent the work of two highly prolific composers born nearly two centuries apart. The performance of this work, and its companions - "Variations and Fugue on a Theme by J.S. Bach" and five "Humoresques" - are interpreted with utmost sensitivity and intelligence by the Canadian born pianist, Marc-Andre Hamelin. The recording is outstanding in every way. An essential CD, even if this is the only Reger you have in your collection!"
Superlative set of variations,superlative pianism.
R. J. Stove | 02/12/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Humoresques are as wonderful to listen to as any I have heard. The Variations on a theme of Teleman are particularly interesting, varied and brilliant. One is stunned listening to them. Hamelin has all of the attributes that one wants for music of this sort. His playing is brilliant, with a full range of tonal level. There is a great subtleness in both the music and in the playing. The quality of the recording is superb. Perhaps the merest tad too much brilliance of sound. But I liked it very much."
"Most of the great audiences consider that Brahms -the late heir of a tradition initiated by Bach and followed by Beethoven (Goldberg and Diabelli)- reached the hitherto with the Variations genre. That obligates us to remind once more this sublime work, to my mind the most ambitious, robust and pyramidal piano work of this Swiss composer. Based on a "Tempo di Minuetto" theme from the B flat major suite in Part III of the "Tafelmusik". He wrote a huge sequence of 23 variations, uninhibited with technical difficulties and notorious effectiveness. The variations are arranged in growing order of importance.
Dedicated to the pianist James Kwast and introduced to the public on 10 March 1915 in Berlin.
Hamelin did it again. One of the most pyramidal, relevant and talented pianists in the world.!"
Track Listings (46) - Disc #1