Joseph Haydn - Piano Concertos Nos. 3, 4 & 11 (Marc-André Hamelin)

Information

Composer: Joseph Haydn

1. Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII/11: 1. Vivace
2. Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII/11: 2. Un poco adagio
3. Piano Concerto in D major, Hob. XVIII/11: 3. Rondo all'ungarese: Allegro assai
4. Piano Concerto in F major, Hob. XVIII/3: 1. Allegro
5. Piano Concerto in F major, Hob. XVIII/3: 2. Largo cantabile
6. Piano Concerto in F major, Hob. XVIII/3: 3. Presto
7. Piano Concerto in G major, Hob. XVIII/4: 1. Allegro
8. Piano Concerto in G major, Hob. XVIII/4: 2. Adagio
9. Piano Concerto in G major, Hob. XVIII/4: 3. Rondo: Presto

Marc-André Hamelin, piano
Les Violons du Roy
Bernard Labadie, conductor

Date: 2013
Label: Hyperion
http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67925

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Review

ARTISTIC QUALITY: 10 / SOUND QUALITY: 10

On this astonishing disc Marc-André Hamelin demonstrates conclusively that a modern piano can do anything a fortepiano can in music of the classical period, while still retaining its superiority in dynamic range, sonority, and the ability to spin out a true, singing legato in the slow movements. Hamelin’s credentials as a major Haydn pianist need no further accolades from me. His six discs (so far) of solo sonatas for Hyperion remain treasures of the Haydn discography. Those same qualities of unaffected liveliness, graceful humor, and virtuoso abandon are equally in evidence here.

It’s a cliché to say that Haydn was not so major a concerto composer as Mozart—no one was. But these three works have plenty of charm and a character all their own. The D major, with its Hungarian finale, is rightly celebrated as the finest of Haydn’s keyboard concertos, but there is plenty to enjoy in the other works as well. Hamelin’s polished technique is placed completely in the service of the music, whether it’s in the brilliance of his passagework, the songfulness of the slow movements, or the gusto of his own cadenzas in the F major and G major works (in the D major concerto he uses delightful cadenzas by Wanda Landowska). 

Bernard Labadie and Les Violins du Roy accompany with equal ebullience and precision; they represent just about the best in period string playing, with a tone that is lean and incisive but never raw and scrappy. Both the F major and G major works use strings only, and you really get the sense in these performances that you are listening to a duet: piano and orchestra as equals, thanks in part to the beautifully balanced sonics. There have been excellent Haydn concerto recordings in recent years on Harmonia Mundi and BIS, but forced to choose, I would go with this one for its all around excellence and its characterful realization of Haydn’s genial writing for solo keyboard and orchestra.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday

More reviews:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/haydn-keyboard-concertos-nos-3-4-11

http://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/Review/352781,haydn-piano-concertos-hamelin.aspx

http://www.allmusic.com/album/haydn-piano-concertos-nos-3-4-11-mw0002498197

http://www.amazon.com/Haydn-Piano-Concertos-Nos-3-11/dp/B00BGA1CN2

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Joseph Haydn (31 March 1732 – 31 May 1809) was a prominent and prolific Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio and his contributions to musical form have earned him the epithets "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". Haydn's work was central to the development of what came to be called sonata form. At the time of his death, aged 77, he was one of the most celebrated composers in Europe. Haydn was a friend and mentor of Mozart, a teacher of Beethoven, and the older brother of composer Michael Haydn.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn

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Marc-André Hamelin (born September 5, 1961 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian virtuoso pianist and composer. Hamelin is recognized worldwide for the originality and technical brilliance of his performances of the classic repertoire. He has made recordings of a wide variety of composers with the Hyperion label. He is well known for his attention to lesser-known composers especially of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century and for performing works by pianist-composers. Hamelin has also composed several works, including a set of piano études in all of the minor keys.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc-Andr%C3%A9_Hamelin

http://www.marcandrehamelin.com/

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