Search - Robert Schumann, Marc-Andre Hamelin :: Schumann: Fantasy in C major; Etudes Symphoniques; Piano Sonata No. 2

	Robert Schumann, Marc-Andre Hamelin Schumann: Fantasy in C major; Etudes Symphoniques; Piano Sonata No. 2 Genre: Classical Early in the Fantasy, which begins the disc, we realize that this is not going to be the kind of great performance we might have expected from Marc-André Hamelin. Although he plays the difficult piano writing with pan... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Robert Schumann, Marc-Andre Hamelin
Title: Schumann: Fantasy in C major; Etudes Symphoniques; Piano Sonata No. 2
Members Wishing: 2
Total Copies: 0
Label: Hyperion UK
Release Date: 3/13/2001
Album Type: Import
Genre: Classical
Styles: Chamber Music, Forms & Genres, Fantasies, Sonatas, Historical Periods, Classical (c.1770-1830), Romantic (c.1820-1910)
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 034571171661, 034571171661

Synopsis

Amazon.com

Early in the Fantasy, which begins the disc, we realize that this is not going to be the kind of great performance we might have expected from Marc-André Hamelin. Although he plays the difficult piano writing with panache, there are places in the first movement where the left hand echoes the right hand's leading phrases and we simply don't hear them. He dashes through the treacherous march with splendid virtuosity and plays the long slow finale with beautiful tone and phrasing, but the music simply isn't eventful enough. Pianists like Fiorentino, Richter, and Backhaus have shown us what treasures this music holds, and what Hamelin offers simply isn't enough. The Sonata is the best performance on the disc, but even that doesn't have the wildness of spirit that Schumann put into the music. Hamelin's choice of edition for the Études is understandable (he plays Schumann's last version as published, without the additional music Brahms found and added to a critical edition), but again, the pianist doesn't make all the music's points. Not bad performances, but not the best Schumann. --Leslie Gerber

CD Reviews

Austere Schumann with Titanic Virtuosity!

Scriabinmahler | UK | 03/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
If you admire Hamelin's super-human virtuosity, you will not be disappointed with this recording. In each piece there's a plenty of it, and this is no doubt the most technically accomplished of all Schumann recitals for recent years.

My only reservation is that it sounds too austere and somehow it lacks colours, atmosphere and delicacy (so essential to Schumann's piano music) in all three pieces. Having said that who else can play Schumann, nowadays, with rich poetry and subtlety that match past masters like Heinrich Neuhaus or Richter who could work miracle on keybord playing Schumann?

Schumann's music really shows limitation of imagination and poor use of pedalling so characteristic of our generation of pianists who do not pay much attention to how sound decays and mixes with other notes and harmonies. To many pianists today, 'subltely' means only playing softly because their focus is only on starting point of a note they create, so their pianism lacks in depth and richness of expression no matter how hard they try to create poetry and atmosphere ( Kissin or Ashkenazy is a typical examle ).

Hamelin is no exception in this respect, but he still manages pretty well compared to other pianists. If you admire his fingures, 5 stars surely, but out of respect for Schumann's music, I give only 4."