Marc-André Hamelin plays Berg, Fauré, Ravel, Hamelin and Rachmaninoff

Marc-André Hamelin in a varied recital live from Moscow in 2013.
A. Berg
Sonata, op. 1 2:06
G. Fauré
Impromptu No. 2 in F minor, Op. 31 15:00
Barcarolle No. 3 Sol-sharp major, op. 42 18:53
M. Ravel
Gaspard de la nuit
- Ondine 27:26
- Le gibet 33:22
- Scarbo 40:11
M.A. Hamelin
Variations on a Theme of Paganini 51:22
S. Rachmaninoff
Prelude in G major, op. 32 No. 5 1:02:10
Prelude in G Sharp Minor, op. 32 No. 12 1:05:29
Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, op. 36
- Allegro agitato 1:08:00
- Non allegro - Lento 1:15:37
- Allegro molto 1:22:08
Chopin/Liszt - My joys: 1:28:55
Chopin/Hamelin - "Minute" waltz, Op. 64, No. 1: 1:35:06
Paul de Schlözer - Étude in A flat, Op. 1, No. 2: 1:39:59
No copyright infringement intended.
All credit to Moscow Philharmonic Society

[@patrickbotti2357]

He is definitely the greatest living pianist. He is also one of the most humble, nicest, least pretentious and most generous person one can find. He is a true and authentic genius.

[@kingconcerto5860]

I saw him perform the Paul Dukas Piano Sonata in Eb Minor live in Toronto a few months ago (along with some Faure pieces and an original composition 'Suite a l'Ancienne")... Hamelin was crying at the end when he finished the Dukas sonata and stood up to take his bows- I've seen many performances but I've never experienced one more emotional than that. I don't know why he has a reputation as a pure technician, like I said I've never felt that level of emotion from a solo piano performance before, it was truly a transcendental experience.

[@Mr.Dziej72]

He has a reputation as a pure technician, not because it's deserved or true at all, but merely because envious people must try to find something wrong with his playing in order to feel better themselves. Having watched a lot of videos of his playing, having seen him play live in concert and having watched him interviewed, I agree that he is a great, great genius musician and a beautiful, intelligent, mature and wise human being.@@kingconcerto5860

[@butwhatwouldiknow]

@@kingconcerto5860 His Hyperion recording of the Dukas is wonderful and after recently becoming aware of his Alkan recordings, I agree with @patrickbotti2357. Who can match that level of virtuosity and musicianship across such a wide range of uncompromising repertoire?

[@ronl7131]

I had opportunity to chat with MAH after a function at Northwestern U, Bienen School of Music. Nice guy. Talked a bit about Scriabin, one of my fav composers. Very amicable.

[@richardblake6781]

This is an amazing recital. There is little rest and zero hiding here. He is playing the hardest literature with magnificent technique. Any of these pieces could be the finale of usual recitals. Here they are dashed off one after another. This man is a genius. Has to be best in the world and maybe in the best of all time short list. Thank you for posting this video.

[@erickfreitas6577]

YES!!!!

[@steve.schatz]

This concert alone should give lie to the contention that Marc is a mere technician. The technique is in complete service to the art.

[@steadyheartbeats2061]

Can I just say, he easily is my fave living pianist! Brilliant!

[@ciararespect4296]

Definitely the best bit off day on gaspard

[@cathschofield7488]

Absolutely epic recital. Best Berg sonata I’ve ever heard

[@laspiano765]

Marc-André Hamelin, apresentando um recital diferente do convencional com compositores talvez desconhecidos por muitos, o segredo pra ficar familiarizado com as novas peças é ver o vídeo e ouvir, ouvir e ouvir. obrigado por postar tão rico trabalho.

[@alexsoteros2545]

It’s a nice touch that Hamelin’s first piece, the Berg sonata, was also the first piece that Glenn Gould played in his 1957 introduction for students of the Moscow Conservatory to music of the Second Viennese School

[@villaporfin17]

MAGISTRAL!!!Can,t be played better!!! Bravo Hamelin!!!He makes difficult works look easy.

[@barbaraholland7630]

Fantastic pianist ......and that Moscow audience...wow!

[@CeceSloth]

I've always been slightly ambivalent towards Rach's Second Sonata, but here Hamelin has made me believe in it whole-heartedly. What a sublime performance

[@brianmichaelmusicetc]

I've loved the Rachmaninoff Bb minor Sonata ever since I heard Horowitz's recording as a kid. Of course, Horowitz did his own composer approved mixture of the original 1913 version and the 1931 revision. Only the 1931 revision was available in the US for many decades so I wasn't surprised that Hamelin played the revised version when he first recorded this piece in his 20s. I am surprised though that he still plays the 1931 version for this recent recital when the original 1913 version has been available for 25+ yrs. John Browning loved the original and succeeded in getting it from a Soviet library and presented it with fingering suggestions in an edition for International that includes both versions. And there is now a G. Henle Urtext edition that also includes the 1931 revision and the 1913 original edited by none other than Marc-Andre Hamelin himself! The original version is longer and more difficult and, to me, the 1931 revision seems truncated. But for sure, Hamelin does play it beautifully here. Personally, I'd love to hear him play the original 1913 version like John Browning did here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJLNaJR7grdkm8U

[@pedropaulopratisamorim8724]

​😢@@brianmichaelmusicetc

[@pedropaulopratisamorim8724]

E

[@rjsullivanjr]

The Berg Sonata is just a world unto itself.

[@davidxpopescu]

It s incredible what He brought out from the Berg.... Breathtaking

[@ciararespect4296]

Berg is rubbish , annoying tune

[@erickfreitas6577]

44:54 absolutely brilliant!!!! best climax of this part EVER!!!!

[@opustravels3659]

:-D Hahahaha. I enjoy Debargue in Moscow 2015 for this part.

[@erickfreitas6577]

@@opustravels3659 I saw it, he’s great too, but hamelin… i don’t know how to explain…

[@vetlerradio]

Whaaaaat! Berg's piano sonata his really nice.

[@MegaPianogenius]

berg? sounded like a load of difficult rubbish

[@FleuveAlphee]

Sounded to you...Try it again, perhaps...

[@PieInTheSky9]

The lips of wisdom are closed, except to the ears of understanding

[@ryangray575]

Hamelin plays my two favourite Faure pieces so well, thanks for uploading this full recital!

[@stephenmessick865]

Never seen such a recital. Wow!

[@andrewgregg3617]

What a beautiful hall! Amazing, superhuman piano playing too, as always

[@radovanlorkovic3562]

Die Bergsonate ist doch ein erstaunliches Werk! Ein Op. 1!

[@michelleong2762]

Holy shit that phone going off at 39:51 for nearly 10 seconds , at the ending of le gibet no less :(

[@opustravels3659]

I will never understand how people manage to forget to turn off the sound on their phones, or how people manage to cough all the time.

[@SanctumZero]

@@opustravels3659 Probably because so much of the audience is old senile farts

[@christianlow7676]

​@@SanctumZero Not more or less than in the theater, but there people do not cough.

[@8beef4u]

@@christianlow7676 apparently it's from boredom, since people cough more than normal. They're bored and hyper focused on it

[@opustravels3659]

@@8beef4u Then they should leave or not go there in the first place.

[@PieInTheSky9]

Thank you for this!

[@opustravels3659]

You're very welcome!

[@keyboarddancers7751]

Impeccable time/programme markings; very interesting concert; thanks for upload.

[@lsbrother]

one would love to hear Chopins reaction to hearing this Minute waltz pastiche! 1:36:15 !

[@opustravels3659]

I think he'd find it funny

[@lsbrother]

Perhaps - but he didn't much like many other composers work so not sure he'd be amused by anyone mucking about with his! Not that it matters - he's dead!

[@opustravels3659]

He did have a good sense of humour though.

[@EmdrGreg]

Maybe looking down from heaven he would find it lovely and funny-- but there's evidence that during his life he wasn't amused by people playing around with his scores.

[@dri3s]

Wow. What a truly unhinged Ondine -- in the best way possible. One of the greatest performances of the section starting at 30:26 I have ever heard.

[@opustravels3659]

But that section ends in a catastrophic mess of notes after the big crescendo

[@MegaPianogenius]

yes it was a mess sorry to say but then everyone is fallible even Mr Hamelin

[@dri3s]

I don't mind. The notes weren't 100% there, but the spirit sure was.

[@PieInTheSky9]

A beautiful mess to remind us a human being is sitting at the piano! :)

[@leomiller2291]

Hamelin isn’t actually human. He only hit wrong notes to amuse us mere mortals.

[@Davideberti]

Hamelin? the greatest pianist

[@lsbrother]

How would you define 'greatest pianist' - I'm not convinced it has any well defined meaning.

[@user-ez4or8ly4c]

Recently I read that Moritz Moszkowski had lost a card game to Schlözer and had to give him a couple of his etudes

[@uwuwuwu525]

beast mode

[@petermichaels9802]

The program listing has a mistake-Rachmaninoff’s Prelude Op 32 No 5 is in the key of G major, not C major!!

[@anmasch8979]

the best one

[@josephf151]

That last etude is amazing, a shame it appears to be so difficult.

[@lsbrother]

surely less difficult = less amazing?!

[@erickfreitas6577]

because IT IS difficult.

[@villaporfin17]

You should play it yourself and feel the real difficulties…You should!!

[@Davideberti]

Better recital its Impossible

[@alexandrekuzmanovic4607]

The last etude sounds ilke a mix between Chopin Op 10 n°12 left hand and Moszkowski Op 72 n°11 ...

[@thomgeo8073]

HAMELIN IS GOD OF PIANO

[@carolinadubeux1425]

Amazing!

[@philcortens5214]

He actually kind of looks like Scarbo when he's playing it.

[@Marcuys]

Holy balls of christ, that last etude is so damn op hahahahha, love it!

[@themoonfleesthroughclouds]

Genius

[@jasperpabroa4737]

what a programme!!! all are but difficult pieces to interpret and are physically demanding. I think he would wipe out any concert pianist with this suicide recital. The best in this generation the Liszt or Alkan of today.

[@erickfreitas6577]

yes, he is. i think the same thing.

[@MegaPianogenius]

30.35 he struggled for hand position on gaspard and 30,57 onward was just awfully smudged and haphazard and his face showed it but he is still best pianist ever

[@opustravels3659]

True, he's not better than Volodos though, no one is.

[@michelleong2762]

Yes he mucked it up big time and he knew it :( Pity though because his treatment for the rest of the piece is amazing

[@hamelinlover]

Volodos and Hamelin are my top two favorite pianists. I have all of their recordings...literally all of them. I have always contemplated which one is truly better, but I think its impossible for me to decide. Hamelin has an immense repertoire and accuracy in his interpretations. He splendidly glorifies the composers intentions to another level beyond what the composer imagined a pianist could do. On the other hand, Volodos' musically flowing, yet note-perfect, interpretations cannot really be matched as far as raw power and emotion are concerned. Volodos plays perfectly executed live performance recitals on a regular basis that would be worthy of studio recording material. Both give piano music worth listening to for a lifetime.

[@ganjamozart1435]

I used to think Volodos' albums had effects applied to make the piano so burnished. Then I heard him a week after Pollini in almost the same position in the same hall, and my god, I just bathed in his tone production!

[@MikeN275]

Yea, double notes runs high up are a bit of an issue because if the body isn't positioned correctly, the hand doesn't feel balanced, and they come out uneven or they don't come out at tempo. Seems like he merely zone out for a moment though and had a lapse. Seems like that slight issue triggered another memory lapse in the left hand that disrupted his auto pilot and caused him to panic, look away, and rush in a desperate attempt to get the muscle memory to kick in. Really interesting, and can truly happen to anyone.

[@tnecnivy]

Wonderfull! Can you say what is the last encore please?

[@opustravels3659]

Isn't it? :-) It's Paul de Schlözer - Étude in A flat, Op. 1, No. 2

[@tnecnivy]

Thank you very much!

[@MegaPianogenius]

unbelievable Russians rushing to get out [excuse the pun] and a 1,39,15 the silly women still leaving even though they hear him coming back for an encore! what a waste of tickets on those plebs i would have loved to have been there,

[@lsbrother]

just a point of info: if you use a colon : instead of a comma , then the time becomes a link, 1:39:15

[@lsbrother]

It was a bit odd: he left at 1:37:58 and didn't come back for over 1.5 minutes - that is an unusually long wait! Quite a lot of people had - understandably - gone!

[@liegon]

At that point he had already played the second encore though. I suppose the single clap of some people in the middle of his encore came a bit as a shock to him. He only returned because the people started clapping again, which is of course the condition for an(other) encore.

[@ernestodecasas998]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jannis11]

Naice

[@cubanm81]

Bravoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.....................................................

[@thePsykomanteum]

(1:00:46:00)

[@uroko2993]

The first sonata really sounds like Scriabin's piece.

[@christianmarquinaalvanpian5534]

Hamelin and Sokolov...

[@ernstjung6234]

He makes Rachmaninoff looks like it was written by Haydn

[@fredhoupt4078]

Solid performance, fickle audience.

[@sergio6357]

내한좀해주셨음좋겠다ㅜㅜ

[@opustravels3659]

Please stick to English here.

[@June_Hee]

He(or she) wants Hamelin to come to South Korea for a recital. As a person from South Korea, I totally agree.

[@r.i.p.volodya]

I simply cannot agree that M.A.H. "is definitely the greatest living pianist". What baffles me about his playing, he has 10 fingers that any pianist could want - AND YET - I find his playing utterly without colour or excitement. I don't understand it. (btw: I'm not happy he chose to play Rach 2nd sonata - that belongs to Horowitz - listen to his recordings and you'll NEVER come back to M.A.H.!) If you want a living pianist that totally lives up to that required by romantic repertoire then listen to MISHA DACIC or BENJAMIN GROSVENOR.

[@pianobirb5644]

Thank you very much sir now that you have informed me that no one other than Horowitz can play Rachmaninov's second sonata. I didn't know that!

[@r.i.p.volodya]

@@pianobirb5644 Your sarcasm aside, the greatest pianists often have repertoire that becomes associated with just them and the chances of others bettering those iconic performances are slim indeed. I wince when Lang Lang plays traumerei or Yuja Wang plays carmen variations. M.A.H. is setting himself up directly against V.H. playing Rach 2nd sonata - and, in my humble opinion, is found wanting!

[@PieInTheSky9]

Even Rachmaninoff himself said he felt like Horowitz played his works better than Rach himself could, he also said Horowitz interpreted the works exactly how he imagined they should be interpreted