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Track(s) taken from CDA66884

Harvest Hymn

composer

Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Recording details: January 1996
St George's, Brandon Hill, United Kingdom
Produced by Andrew Keener
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
Release date: October 1996
Total duration: 2 minutes 56 seconds
 

Reviews

‘Hamelin's pleasure in this repertoire—challenging to the pianist, delightful to the listener—is manifest in every bar’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘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)

‘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’ (Financial Times)

‘This hugely enjoyable recital is a distinguished addition to Hamelin's already remarkable discography’ (Hi-Fi News)

‘Definitely a contender for piano record of the year’ (San Francisco Examiner)

‘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)

«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)

'Grainger demanda tanto una agilidad sorprendente como gran delicadeza en el fraseo, virtudes ambas que posee el solista canadiense' (CD Compact, Spain)
Harvest Hymn is a totally original composition and an elaboration on an early melody called ‘Hymny Tune’ representing the apotheosis of hymn-like melodies. Originally conceived for ‘elastic-scoring’, this piano version can also be played simultaneously with all the other versions. This is Grainger’s only use of the word ‘hymn’ as part of a title; the result is a sumptuous piece that tugs at the heart-strings.

from notes by Barry Peter Ould © 1996

Harvest Hymn (L’hymne à la récolte) est une composition totalement originale et fut élaborée sur une première mélodie appelée «Hymny Tune» représentant l’apothéose de mélodies-hymnes. A l’origine conçue pour «elastic-scoring» (arrangement élastique), cette version au piano peut être jouée simultanément avec toutes les autres versions. C’est l’unique utilisation que Grainger fit du mot «hymne» du titre; le résultat est un morceau somptueux qui tire sur les cordes du cœur.

extrait des notes rédigées par Barry Peter Ould © 1996
Français: Elaine Brown Translations

Harvest Hymn (Ernte Hymne) ist eine Urkomposition Graingers. Es ist die Ausarbeitung einer früheren Melodie namens „Hymny Tune“ und verkörpert die Verherrlichung hymnischer Melodien. Am Anfang wurde es zwecks „elastic scoring“ (elastischer bzw. flexibler Partitur) konzipiert, und darum kann die Klavierversion mit allen anderen Versionen gleichzeitig gespielt werde. Es ist das einzige Mal, dass Grainger das Wort „hymn“ als Teil eines Titels verwendet; das Ergebnis ist ein prächtiges Stück, das einem Herzklopfen macht.

aus dem Begleittext von Barry Peter Ould © 1996
Deutsch: Elaine Brown Translations

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