Listening : Marc-André Hamelin

Marc-André Hamelin has made recordings of a wide variety of composers with the Hyperion label. His recording of Leopold Godowsky’s complete Studies on Chopin’s Études won the 2000 Gramophone Magazine Instrumental Award. He is well known for his attention to lesser-known composers especially of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century (Leo Ornstein, Nikolai Roslavets, Georgy Catoire), and for performing works by pianist-composers such as Leopold Godowsky, Charles-Valentin Alkan,Kaikhosru Sorabji, Nikolai Kapustin, Franz Liszt, Nikolai Medtner and Frederic Rzewski. (Wikipedia article)

I consider his recording of the Liszt Sonata in B Minor stunning, as are his other recordings of the virtuosic repertory from the 19^th and 20^th centuries. While he has undertaken what appears to be an ongoing cycle of Haydn and Mozart keyboard sonatas, I have not heard them.

Liszt: B Minor Sonata (with Liszt’s manuscript)

Part I