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St George's, Brandon Hill, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
Release date: October 1996
Total duration: 72 minutes 23 seconds
DIAPASON D'OR
'The wizardry of Grainger's invention is never out of step with Hamelin's fingers - all 20 (or so it seems) of them. Try and keep your lower jaw in place as [he] negotiates Grainger's 'cakewalk smasher' In Dahomey' (The Independent)
'Hamelin's pleasure in this repertoire - challenging to the pianist, delightful to the listener - is manifest in every bar' (BBC Music Magazine)
'Ici l'interprète se doit de broyer l'ivoire, et l'étourdissante technique de Marc-André Hamelin s'y entend à merveille! Si l'on ajoute son extrême délicatesse de toucher, son phrasé lyrique et chaleureux trouvant d'instinct le chemin du coeur, on comprendra que ces prouesses pianistiques laissent pantois, ému au point que l'on ne sait plus très bien si l'on rit, mais on tout cas pris aux tripes' (Diapason, France)
'This hugely enjoyable recital is a distinguished addition to Hamelin's already remarkable discography' (Hi Fi News)
'Grainger demanda tanto una agilidad sorprendente como gran delicadeza en el fraseo, virtudes ambas que posee el solista canadiense' (CD Compact, Spain)
'One of the most brilliant and sensitive young pianists we have on the scene today. His technique is formidable: the more fiendishly difficult a piece is, the more spectacularly he plays it. Yet … what sets him apart as a pianist is his uncanny ability to melt your heart' (Fi, USA)
'Marc-André Hamelin's Grainger disc must stand as one of the best that could ever possibly be made. The powers Hamelin has at his disposal are endless. A colossal musician' (Soundscapes, Australia)
'Definitely a contender for piano record of the year' (San Francisco Examiner)
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No 8: Jutish Medley
[8'08]
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No 1: Colonial Song
[5'46]
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No 19: Molly on the Shore
[3'14]
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No 4: A Reel
[4'10]
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No 1: Spoon River
[2'19]
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No 22: Country Gardens
[1'48]
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No 3: Walking Tune
[4'13]
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No 1: Mock Morris
[3'09]
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No 04: Shepherd's Hey
[2'00]
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No 2: Handel in the Strand
[2'45]
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March: The Gum-Suckers
[3'30]
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No 38: The merry king
[4'17]
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The solo piano music of Percy Grainger comprises about ninety works, many of which are transcriptions of earlier orchestral or instrumental compositions. Grainger was an inveterate arranger and transcriber of music: of his own compositions, of folk-music from around the world, and of works by masters from Bach and Dowland to Fauré and Richard Strauss. Despite his apparently loathing the piano, it being 'an affront to destroy a melodiously conceived idea by trying to fit it into the limitations of two hands and a box full of hammers and strings', the nineteen works in this recital capture all the humour, charm and sheer bravado of such 'dish-ups' as Handel in the Strand, Country Gardens and the rest. |