Give the Man a Break
odalys90 | 06/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I read many of the reviews of "Kaleidescope" and have come to the conclusion that some of the people who listened to this disc simply did NOT understand it. Marc-Andre Hamelin is not trying to offer you the "real classics." The standard piano literature does not constitute a large part of ANY of his discs. I believe that this recording is simply UNPARRALLED. It presents selection of salon music, archaic virtuoso pieces, as well as some original "transcriptions." I believe the his musicality transcends the average virtuosos interpretation of music. Instead of "packing a punch" by accentuating individual aspects of a line, or a phrase, Hamelin is able to make all of these, albeit "poor compositions", come to life by being cognizant and function as a whole. Furthermore, there are people who may attack a transcription as being unorthodox. No, this is simply a presentation of a virtuoso's "take" or feelings concerning a piece. For we do not EVER see things as they truly are, but rather as WE are. You will NOT find Liszt "La Campanella" on "Kaleidescope". No, instead, you will see Hamelin in every turn of phrase. I think this is VASTLY more valuable. It allows us to see Hamelin. (Remember, Liszt transcribed the orginal CONCERTO!) Enjoy this CD--its truly wonderful."
Divine Madness And Other Fun
brent taylor | Indianapolis, Indiana | 04/20/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This recording should come with a warning not to listen to more than few tracks at a time! Even pianophiles will be spoilt on this sampler of bon bons.Hamelin teases us with another addition to his incomplete set of virtuoso etudes. The third etude, after Paganini-Liszt, is absolutely uproarious. Hamelin also gives Jakob Gimpel's (who?) Offenbach transcription a performance worthy of the pre-retirement Horowitz. This alone is worth the price of admission.There is a rendition of the Blumenfield left-hand etude that is on par if not better than any of Simon Barere's famous recordings. And, since Shura is no longer with us it is nice to hear Josef Hofmann's Kaleidoskop once again in capable hands. Hofmann's Nocturne receives a resurrection as well. There is a ravishingly beautiful piece which Hamelin has adapted from Glazunov's The Seasons. But, the piece I could not stop playing over and over was the infectiously rythmic Kasputin Toccatina--true virtuoso jazz!Leopold Godowsky accused Theodore Leschetizky of setting the art of piano playing back a hundred years. Hamelin has set back most of today's pianists at least that much. The only thing missing here is the kitchen sink; Hamelin has thrown everything else in. The only thing missing here is Rubinstein's Staccato Etude and the Melody in F. Not exactly a balanced recital, but marvelous fun. If you love piano, you have to have this! It's better than the entire Kissin discography combined."
A pleasing variety of piano miniatures
odalys90 | So San Francisco, CA United States | 12/11/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is another must-have for Marc-Andre Hamelin fans. The rarities on this album make it a true treasure, with all its diversity and freshness. Hamelin's own "Campanella" etude is an interesting addition to the several arrangements already set forth by Liszt. Jakob Gimpel's "Song of the Soldiers at Sea" is a fantastic virtuosic piece that would serve well as a final encore (and Mr. Hamelin has done other pianists a great service in bringing this piece back to life and to the printing press, available through redheiferpress.com). Blumenfeld's etude for the left hand is poetically played, showing how a piece for a single hand can have great musical value and not just be an 'exercise' for the hand. Kapustin's Toccatina is a delightful jazzy piece, in the spirit of some of Vince Guaraldi's "Peanuts" music, with a catchy beat that will have the listener dancing with glee.
These are but four pieces out of the 20 Mr. Hamelin has chosen for this recital. All have their musical merits and each would add spark and a fascinating variety to the piano recital, which is too often composed of recycled repertoire."
