Hamelin plays his Etude No. 12, Prelude and Fugue LIVE!!

Marc-André Hamelin plays his Etude No. 12, Prelude and Fugue from 12 etudes in all the minor keys. Live performance at Casals Hall, Tokyo. One of the most insane and jaw-dropping things I've ever seen.

[@tomekkobialka]

Hamelin was technically at the top of his game during his series of recitals at Tokyo. He has said that his recording of the Prelude and Fugue took him many takes to get right, yet he completely owns the piece in this live recital. Look at the ease with which he plays the fugue subject at 2:44. Incredible!

[@thenameisgsarci]

hamelin surely pushed the nature of a fugue to the limits... :D

[@toothlesstoe]

Probably one of Hamelin's strongest works.

[@AsrielKujo]

Indeeed, out of all his etudes, which i consider his best music, this is probably the most complex and original (the second is harmonically very good too but doesn't have the maturity of this piece imo)

[@SCRIABINIST]

@@AsrielKujo And this was his first Etude as well.

[@JG_1998]

Definitely, really shows his true a genius as a composer. The Erlkonig etude, toccata, and suite l'ancienne are also in this same vein. The interesting thing is that this piece was originally supposed to be part of a whole sonata. Would love to hear that.

[@НикитаМорозов-т7у]

​@@JG_1998not this piece, but etude no 11 "Menuetto".

[@jackcurley1591]

@@JG_1998totally agree and I love all of MAH’s etudes, but I think this one really stands out as the pinnacle of his output. It’s so personal, deeply complex and puzzling. The prelude’s harmony is almost labyrinthian, like you’re lost wandering in a maze and don’t know where to turn, and then the fugue is just so grotesque, explosive, and intensely polyphonic. All of this is to say is that this is a masterwork of the highest degree from the goat of piano technique 😂

[@yagiz885]

I didn't know there was a video of this performance , one of my favorite compositions of Hamelin!

[@rohansarvaria4969]

I find it insane that M.A.H has been able to compose something so technically challenging that not only did it challenge him when he recorded his studio take, but that between the two performances, even he has to take some crazy rhythmic liberties.

[@EliasCohen881]

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko recently played it in competition (no less), and played it well.

[@jackcurley1591]

This is MAH at his technical peak, and what an absolute monster he was… His facility at the piano is almost incomprehensible, so I’m glad we have video footage to back it up. Prime MAH had the greatest technique in piano history, and I’d be more than happy to argue against anyone who thinks otherwise 😂

[@NOSEhow2LIV]

Jaw-dropping & insane indeed! One of his best pieces with all one wants in invention, wit & daring. This performance would stand as absolute if the other upload,(from NY?)didn't exist. I slightly prefer the other, partly for clearer sound, and honestly, there i think he plays it even better(!)than here, maybe younger&fresher. Marvellous to have these live performances, surpassing, i think, the recording in electricity.

[@ciararespect4296]

I have just finished learning it what a demonic battle

[@Bobowobo]

Wow congrats!

[@notmusictheory74]

Respect+

[@PianoScoreVids]

Maybe not one of the best composers, but surely one of the best living pianists!

[@AsrielKujo]

Hehe his style is very sorabjian

[@SeigneurReefShark]

@@AsrielKujo not really though

[@AsrielKujo]

@@SeigneurReefShark kinda yeah, he engraved by hand sooo many sorabji manuscripts and he has absorbed a lot of typical sorabji things

[@toothlesstoe]

@@AsrielKujo This piece sounds more reminiscent of Myaskovsky or Mosolov, not Sorabji.

[@jrb5077]

@@toothlesstoe Or Roslavets, maybe? He has written that the fugue owes something to Busoni (the All'italiana movement from the Piano Concerto).

[@anonymousQ45]

@Echoherbs no i am familiar with many contrasting styles of music, some that seem to have no connection to most people at all. hamelin is praised for his technique and not his compositions for a reason

[@jannis11]

Nice

[@EliasCohen881]

Heavily influenced by Sorabji, whom Hamelin played and admired at the time of this work's composition (early-mid 80s).

[@sneddypie]

the way he got up tho its like "yeah i did that, whats next"

[@StephaneMartineau]

Virtuosité absolue !

[@eurisko618]

Tricky fingers!

[@MegaPianogenius]

So much for all the talk about Asians . Not one in sight

[@オリバーオリバー-e4d]

The whole audience is full of them, he was in Tokyo

[@jackcurley1591]

@@オリバーオリバー-e4dwas boutta comment the same thing. I’m dead 😂

[@madlovba3]

@hadsell1962 Stupid comment.

[@pianOracle]

sounds like this guy loves Prokofiev!

[@pianoboylaker6560]

I heard something similar to this once, but when I went into the piano room I found it was my five year old grandchildren pressing all the keys down intermittingly and having a wonderful time making noise. The other time I heard something like this was when the cat was running up and down the keyboard.

[@brucedavies8154]

lol

[@PieInTheSky9]

Perhaps you should expand your ear more?

[@anonymousQ45]

now i can appreciate hamelins technique, but come on, this is just noise. exciting to watch noise, but still noise.

[@ryangiraldi5722]

You forget that ALL music is noise.

[@sneddypie]

bill Bloggs your playing it imperfectly then

[@AsrielKujo]

are you crazy? or you just can't even grasp the feel and vibe these amazing harmonies give off? i can understand the quality of audio isn't the best, but i thought you were able at least to grasp with your underdeveloped brain the harmonies, which aren't even that complex compared to other composers, and try at least and understand what he's playing.

[@몰라나3]

푸가의 특성이 원래 이럼

[@몰라나3]

푸가의 매력을 모르는구만