Recordings That You Are Considering

[DavidW]

Is Hamelin very good as a pianist?  I know nothing about him ...

Well I'm simply impressed by the little bit I've heard.  It sounds like Sonic Dave is saying that it's a love/hate thing, either you love the way he throws himself at the music or you hate it.

[Gurn Blanston]

Is Hamelin very good as a pianist?  I know nothing about him ...

He is one of the most technically brilliant pianists playing today. I honestly don't think there is a piece of music written that he can't knock the poop out of.



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Now playing:
L'Archibudelli - Divertimento K.563 

[Coopmv]

Well I'm simply impressed by the little bit I've heard.  It sounds like Sonic Dave is saying that it's a love/hate thing, either you love the way he throws himself at the music or you hate it.

I am pretty new to Ronald Brautigam recordings also.  Starting from nothing early last year, I now have his BIS sets on Haydn and Mozart plus a few other singles, though I will skip his Beethoven Sonatas since I already have 10 complete sets.  What is considered the most outstanding recording by Hamelin on Hyperion?

[SonicMan46]

Is Hamelin very good as a pianist?  I know nothing about him ...

Well Stuart - you need need to become acquainted - he is an astounding pianist! Just pick one of his recordings according to you preferences for composer & works - 

Well I'm simply impressed by the little bit I've heard.  It sounds like Sonic Dave is saying that it's a love/hate thing, either you love the way he throws himself at the music or you hate it.

David - not at all at least for me; Hamelin is just amazingly gifted as a pianist (in person for me he was a jaw-dropping experience) - his skills to play fast w/ a lot of pyrotechnics occasionally affects the reviews of his recordings - he needs to be experienced and then decided upon - for me, he is certainly a 'love' experience but you may not always like his skills overpowering the music - not sure what else to say - maybe others will give their opinions?  Dave 

[Gurn Blanston]

... maybe others will give their opinions?  Dave 

Not me, I'm withholding mine.



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Now playing:
L'Archibudelli - Divertimento K.563 

[Scarpia]

Well, I guess after I saw him 'in person' I was somewhat smitten w/ his abilities - a lot of those Hyperion discs were pick up from BRO, so not a big investment; he is a 'superman' at the piano, so might be too much & overbearing for some - would suggest reading reviews before purchasing - e.g. Scarpia has chimed-in saying that he hated the Godowsky recording - well, I'd have to give the disc another listen, but on Amazon, it received 6 5* ratings including one by Scott Morrsion, a reviewer there that I do respect - although he stated that it took him multiple listens for him to appreciate the music - I probably have not even approach his number of trials! 

I don't blame Hamelin.  That piece seems to have something like a thousand notes per second.  If Hamelin had left out about 2/3 of them it would have been easier to take.

[Coopmv]

Well Stuart - you need need to become acquainted - he is an astounding pianist! Just pick one of his recordings according to you preferences for composer & works - 

Dave 

Dave,  Thanks for the suggestion.  It looks like Chopin is a great place to start ...   

[DavidW]

Dave,  Thanks for the suggestion.  It looks like Chopin is a great place to start ...   

I think that I'm thinking so too.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Not me, I'm withholding mine.

That poop bit got MY attention!

[Lethevich]

These two are super:

[asin]B0000DJEND[/asin] [asin]B000F2C9SE[/asin]

If you like Medtner, his discs on the composer are very fine, and better recorded than many of the alternatives. His Haydn sonatas are wonderful as well.

[Scarpia]

[asin]B000F2C9SE[/asin]

If you like Medtner, his discs on the composer are very fine, and better recorded than many of the alternatives. His Haydn sonatas are wonderful as well.

Interesting.  I was intrigued by the surprising quality of Dukas' orchestra music, particularly Le Peri.  The Piano sonata is at the same level?

[Lethevich]

Interesting.  I was intrigued by the surprising quality of Dukas' orchestra music, particularly Le Peri.  The Piano sonata is at the same level?

It's very good, although I found it a little more conservative than his orchestral music - there are shades of Franck and Fauré popping up every now and again, but it easily justifies itself on an absolute level - very good music. It's also interesting as an example of French monumentalism before the trend turned towards nuanced, spikey or spare works.

[kishnevi]

Considering more Hamelin, are any of these good?  If not, suggest other Hamelin recordings instead of other recordings of those works please.

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[asin]B000GNOHR8[/asin]

Hamelin is one of those pianists who seems incapable of putting out a mediocre or worse recording.  I have the Dukas CD, as well as one of the Alkan CDs, Godowsky  Johann Strauss transcriptions, Medtner,  the two double CDs of Haydn,  Albeniz' Iberia, as well as one each of Schumann and Chopin.  And I have the feeling I'm forgetting at least one other. 

My suggestion is to go for the works that are not commonly recorded, like the Alkan or Medtner CDs, and then work out from there.

[mc ukrneal]

Hamelin is one of those pianists who seems incapable of putting out a mediocre or worse recording.  I have the Dukas CD, as well as one of the Alkan CDs, Godowsky  Johann Strauss transcriptions, Medtner,  the two double CDs of Haydn,  Albeniz' Iberia, as well as one each of Schumann and Chopin.  And I have the feeling I'm forgetting at least one other.  

My suggestion is to go for the works that are not commonly recorded, like the Alkan or Medtner CDs, and then work out from there.

You did! There is also Grainger, Catoire, Brahms (chamber, but wonderful stuff), Liszt (Paganini), Reger, Schumann (more chamber), and several from the romantic piano concerto series. In short, there is a lot of unusual repetoire that he has recorded (and thank goodness!). If I could pick only one, it would be the Godowsky double disc set of Chopin Studies. This one:
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[karlhenning]

Considering this, but, Lord, it's pricey:

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[Luke]

Considering this, but, Lord, it's pricey:

[asin]B000003IYD[/asin]

I'd wait till Jonathan Powell releases a recording. If and when it comes it will be far more accurate and carefully done than any of the previous ones. In the meantime (see the other thread) spend your hard-earned dollars on this:

[asin]B000BOIWVO[/asin]

[karlhenning]

Splendid! Wish-listed for future action.

[Lethevich]

It's definitely more impressive than the BIS recording, and if the Powell wasn't inbound I would recommend the Ogdon as well. It's one of those works that even if you don't like, it's still worth returning to again and again. That said, the Powell recording has been "incoming" for several years now

Perhaps try some of the shorter discs, both as a less masochistic introduction to the composer, but also because he wrote reams of fine music once the daunting style has been dealt with. It's difficult to suggest a single disc, as all are great achievements in differing ways. The three recordings of the nocturne Gulistān, for instance, all fascinate me, and it would depend on what you are seeking to really decide which you need. Wow, that wasn't helpful at all

[karlhenning]

. . . Wow, that wasn't helpful at all

Tee-hee!

[Lethevich]

On closer thought, the Powell disc of Nido di scatole, Djâmi and St Bertrand de Comminges may be the best introduction. It contains a nocturne (the second piece), a characteristically macabre work, one of his "hits" (the third), and a much less known major one which is unusually for the composer a rather accessably presented suite of 17 pieces.

The intriguing thing about Sorabji is that Opus Clav may not be the Holst's Planets of his output - the thing that stands out most in terms of paletability, inspiration and popular quality. Its status rests in some part due to it being written, and rediscovered, in the right place at the right time in the chronology. Other large pieces of his offer potentially equal interest, and his shorter works have much to offer, not simply by their relative accessability, but also for representing other distinct facets of the composer's world. His nocturnes (the term is used loosely to collect a few works) for example contain none of the grinding fugues-from-hell that Opus Clav is known for - but the composer's astonishing and alienating soundworld burns just as strongly.

Also, I see that the forum's spellchecker is on top form as usual. It considers "nido" and "di" to be typos, but not "scatole"