The Composer-Pianists > Reviews > Greatest pianist since Godowsky

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Not applicable
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	Top performance of range of virtuoso piano works
Disadvantages:	A little too much virtuosity to listen to all in one sitting

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Alkan, Busoni, Feinberg, Godowsky, Medtner, Rachmaninov, Scriabin, and Sorabji have come to be known as the "Eight Composer Pianists" along with the performer, Marc-Andre Hamelin, who is the ninth.

Each of them wrote music requiring the most amazing level of virtuosity to perform it. The obvious danger here is that of virtuosity for its own sake, and some of Hamelin's performances of his own compositions suffer from this, especially Etude No 10, based on the famous Chopin "Black Keys" Etude. Hamelin's Prelude and Fugue is also more suited to display than enjoyable listening.

On the other hand, the Bach Schubler Chorale arranged by Feinberg captures the dignity of Bach's music in a thoroughly pianistic manner, without any sense of display.

The Alkan transcription of Haydn's Andante from Symphony No 94 (the "Surprise") condenses a symphony orchestra into two hands in a totally musical manner, complete with the crashing "surprise" chord from which the symphony was given its nickname.

There is a taste here of Sorabji, the mystical composer who wrote music with so many notes that it looks as though it would need at least four hands to play it. Much of Sorabji's music is long and tiring to listen to, but the Hindu Merchant's Song from Sadko recorded here is short and beautiful, wrapping the melody in lush harmonies, which Hamelin plays with great sensitivity.

Medtner's Improvisation has some of each: a beautiful melody, together with amazing twisting variations on it.

Hamelin is often considered to be the greatest pianist since Godowsky, and Godowsky's Toccata is included here, with its beautiful melodies weaving effortlessly through the complex fabric of the music.

This CD is highly recommended for anyone who wishes to listen to a selection of piano music by each of these composers, being performed by a living representative of this school. Hamelin has done a great service to these composers in this and other recordings, in making their music accessible and breathing new life into it.

It also provides inspiration for ambitious amateur pianists, like me, who may wish to try to play some of these works.

The only disappointing aspect of the selection is that there are not many slow, expressive, lyrical works. One or two works such as a slow Rachmaninov prelude, or an expressive prelude or etude by Scriabin would have been welcome. However, a very wide range of music is covered in one CD.

It would be interesting to hear other outstanding pianists put together a similar set of pieces on one CD. There may be others to set alongside this CD, but there will probably never be one to replace it.

Overall this CD is highly recommended for anyone interested in listening to virtuoso piano works played by today's top virtuoso, or "super-virtuoso" as Hamelin as he is often called. It is also an excellent introduction to Hamelin's work, as a sampler, before buying other CDs by Hamelin.