Marc-André Hamelin

He plays with almost as much virtuosity as Horowitz, as carefully conceived as Brendel, with as much naturalness as Rubinstein and as much passion as Argerich. Furthermore, we also have his effortless, matchless virtuosity, the infinite differentiation of his colour and touch, his remarkable narrative power and perfect legato. And that's not all. Any attempt to define Hamelin's unique personality will end in defeat. Come and sample it for yourselves and be overwhelmed by one of the greatest pianists of our time! The Sonata, Opus 1, by Berg was a kind of graduation piece, the culmination of his lessons under Schoenberg. The move towards atonality is here not far away, but a hint of the 7th is still detectable. In addition to its tonality, Berg's Sonata shares with Liszt's glittering sonata that it is in one part and has a 'schwärmerische' (effusive) nature. The spectacular 'Feux d'artifice' will certainly be among Hamelin's selection from Debussy's second book of 'Preludes'. To conclude, we get to experience Hamelin as a composer. Along with his tongue in cheek piano pieces, which include the hilarious 'Ringtone Waltz', he has written a series of etudes as a personal challenge. You won't believe your ears...