Marc-Andre Hamelin. Etude 3 "After Paganini-Liszt"

[presto agitato]

Marc-Andre Hamelin is not only one of the greatest piano virtuoso of the last decades, he is also a wonderful piano composer.

This etude proves it.

What do you think?

[ramseytheii]

Marvelous!  Needed two or three more chords at the very end, that's all.

Walter Ramsey

[orangesodaking]

I have this CD and love it! 

[ahinton]

I have this CD and love it! 

I have the score, too (although, until Peters published it recently, we had ourselves been supplying some of them); it's well worth getting, especially as there are plenty of other delights in the set as a whole and it would be hard to imagine a pianist who would be uninterested in this music.

Best,

Alistair

[avetma]

I have this old problem with Hamelin as a composer; I feel that his compositions are coming from his virtuosity, and in my humble opinion, it should be vice versa.

Nevertheless, impressive.

[ahinton]

I have this old problem with Hamelin as a composer; I feel that his compositions are coming from his virtuosity, and in my humble opinion, it should be vice versa.

Nevertheless, impressive.

Well, if you were familiar with more of his work you might think otherwise; tell me where Con Intimissimo Sentimento or the Variations of the CD "come from his virtuosity"!...

Best,

Alistair

[ramseytheii]

I have this old problem with Hamelin as a composer; I feel that his compositions are coming from his virtuosity, and in my humble opinion, it should be vice versa.

Nevertheless, impressive.

I enjoy etudes like this, because they do delight so much in virtuosity.  Which compositions for the piano in the past 50 years have made good on the developments of Godowsky, Scriabin, and all those fin de siecle composers?  And who writes these days such sparkling, fun music?  Moreover, who bothers to play sparkling, fun, entertaining music?

Bravo Marc-Andre Hamelin.

Walter Ramsey

[tsveti]

This is outstanding... I can't believe it! Awesome! Incredible pianist and composer!

[pianist1976]

Very imaginative and original writing!

Simply amazing

[avetma]

Well, if you were familiar with more of his work you might think otherwise; tell me where Con Intimissimo Sentimento or the Variations of the CD "come from his virtuosity"!...

Best,

Alistair

I am not familiar with Variations, but I will look it up. About Con Intimissimo Sentimento; that kind of pieces I do like. Too bad he doesn't take that direction more often, instead of impressing with technically insane pieces.

[naturlaut]

Virtuosic or not, it is actually very well written, and if you had a chance to try it on the piano it is very pianistic.  Hamelin's virtuosity is very natural, and not at all forced - this comes out in the writing too.  The negative connotation of the word "virtuosity" came out of the slave-morality of the underlings; as far as I can see, there is absolutely nothing negative about the virtuosity of this etude, and if you can master it, the virtuosity can be very expressive too. 

[avetma]

Virtuosic or not, it is actually very well written, and if you had a chance to try it on the piano it is very pianistic.  Hamelin's virtuosity is very natural, and not at all forced - this comes out in the writing too.  The negative connotation of the word "virtuosity" came out of the slave-morality of the underlings; as far as I can see, there is absolutely nothing negative about the virtuosity of this etude, and if you can master it, the virtuosity can be very expressive too. 

The negative connotation of the word "virtuosity" might rather came out from his pieces like triple etude, which I find interesting as a fun experiment. But except that - rather annoying to listen or play.

Mastering the piece should be natural thing. So, looking the big picture - why do everybody keep on talking about it's virtuosity instead of pure beauty/value of music?

[orangesodaking]

The negative connotation of the word "virtuosity" might rather came out from his pieces like triple etude, which I find interesting as a fun experiment. But except that - rather annoying to listen or play.

Mastering the piece should be natural thing. So, looking the big picture - why do everybody keep on talking about it's virtuosity instead of pure beauty/value of music?

I think the Triple Etude (as well as most of Hamelin's other etudes) are funny, and I don't care how difficult the etudes are, because the humor in them is why I enjoy listening to them. And plenty of pianists with high technique could play these etudes and have fun with them.

[avetma]

Okay, everybody's got a different sense of humor, obviously.

[orangesodaking]

Okay, everybody's got a different sense of humor, obviously.

I would hope everyone has a sense of humor!

[ahinton]

The negative connotation of the word "virtuosity" might rather came out from his pieces like triple etude, which I find interesting as a fun experiment. But except that - rather annoying to listen or play.

Mastering the piece should be natural thing. So, looking the big picture - why do everybody keep on talking about it's virtuosity instead of pure beauty/value of music?

I can exercise no more control than can you or anyone else over what people talk about when discussing these études but, whilst I sympathise with you point here, it is nevertheless the case that these pieces are, at least in part, technical studies for pianists, so certain areas of pianistic virtuosity are surely likely to enter into discussions of them just as would be the case with the studies of Chopin, Alkan, Liszt or anyone else. It's when people take about nothing other than the sheer physical virtuosity in them that the discussion becomes disproportionate and, ultimately, misleading and unrewarding.

Best,

Alistair

[avetma]

I would hope everyone has a sense of humor!

If you take in consideration that every person had a laugh on something at least once, than I would say that everybody has sense of humor. But surely, there are some weird types.

[avetma]

I can exercise no more control than can you or anyone else over what people talk about when discussing these études but, whilst I sympathise with you point here, it is nevertheless the case that these pieces are, at least in part, technical studies for pianists, so certain areas of pianistic virtuosity are surely likely to enter into discussions of them just as would be the case with the studies of Chopin, Alkan, Liszt or anyone else. It's when people take about nothing other than the sheer physical virtuosity in them that the discussion becomes disproportionate and, ultimately, misleading and unrewarding.

Best,

Alistair

Couldn't agree more.

[ch101]

why do those virtuoso pianists keep arranging those great works!? the original is the best it gets that is all i am saying. his version might even be more challenging than the original but liszt's musical quality is unbeatable.

[orangesodaking]

why do those virtuoso pianists keep arranging those great works!? the original is the best it gets that is all i am saying. his version might even be more challenging than the original but liszt's musical quality is unbeatable.

Liszt's isn't the original either.

Paganini would have loved it anyway.

And Hamelin's is meant to be more humorous, I think.

[ramseytheii]

Liszt's isn't the original either.

 

Walter Ramsey

[019450]

This is a phenomenal composition! The rhythm is "addicting" and the melody, although well-known, is beautifully preserved. Unfortunately, he is a unique pianist, and any attempt to play his compositions is virtually impossible! I will continue to enjoy his compositions and interpretation of the "standard" pianoforte literature.
Jerzy Zbigniew Przybojewski