Marc-André Hamelin, piano; Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin; Ilan Volkov, conductor
Max Reger (1873-1916) Piano Concerto in F minor Op 114 Richard Strauss (1864-1949) Burleske in D minor
Gramophone Awards Finalist 2011 - Concerto Recording Wholenote Discoveries - June 2011
Like a big meal, the Max Reger piano concerto in F minor, Op. 114 is a challenge both to serve up and to digest. Admired by Berg and Schoenberg for his commitment to modernism, Reger nevertheless admitted that his concerto would be misunderstood for years. Its critical rejection in 1910 caused him personal distress, loss of health and an early death at age 43. Pianist Marc-André Hamelin’s performance in this recording is a jaw-dropper. He meets Reger’s relentless demand for highly articulate virtuosity with apparent ease. He also finds rare melodic ideas in an otherwise dense storm of rhythmically driven motives. Reger’s music is contrapuntally thick and Hamelin works wonderfully with conductor Ilan Volkov to ensure that the orchestral score remains balanced, especially in the concerto’s often frenetic outer movements. The second movement, however, allows only a partial respite from this tumult. The tender moments here are a compliment to both pianist and conductor and provide a stark contrast to the rest of the work. The Steinway used in the recording stands up remarkably well. Despite the heavy playing its tuning holds rock steady throughout the entire first movement – nearly eighteen minutes! The other item on this CD is a clever choice. Its late 19th century vintage creates a sense of relief following the Reger. Richard Strauss’ Burleske is also a demanding work, but it comes across as light, airy and slightly impish – as perhaps a “burleske” should. Alex Baran
The Reger concerto has a formidable reputation - dense, harmonically complex and with far too many notes for the average pianist. Who better then to decipher it than Marc-André Hamelin? In his hands this rarely recorded behemoth reveals both passion and a lyricism so often lost in lesser performances. He is wonderfully partnered by Ilan Volkov and the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester who share the pianist's desire to elucidate an often misunderstood work. While the Reger concerto comes from the end of his career, the Strauss Burleske is a product of that composer's prodigious youth. This ebullient work has long been a Hamelin 'party-piece', and he plays it with an unmatched brilliance which surely captures the essence of this humorous music and will have the listener on the edge of his seat.
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Price: $19.98