Ken Hamilton and French piano music

[ardcarp]

What did people think of this slot in last Saturday's CD Review?

Kenneth Hamilton joins Andrew to discuss recent releases of French Piano music

Alkan - Complete Recueils de Chants Volume One
ALKAN: Premier recueil de chants Op. 38; Deuxieme recueil de chants Op. 38; Troisieme recueil de chants Op. 65; Une fusee - Introduction et Impromptu Op. 55
Stephanie McCallum (piano)
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0157 (CD)


Well, I can't bear the dialogue format, but thought KH was not cajoled into agreeing with everything Andrew suggested. If anyone has not had a chance to hear Kenneth play, and better still to talk about music, he is both brilliant, witty and occasionally outrageous. I've just finished his book:

After the Golden Age. Romantic pianism and modern performance.

If anyone finds the modern super-star pianists too samey and just a tad too polished, then this book is for you.

[Serial_Apologist]

French piano music - too much Polish?

[ardcarp]

LMAOROTF

[Nick Armstrong]

What did people think of this slot in last Saturday's CD Review?

We had a bit of a chat about it here: http://www.for3.org/forums/showthrea...up-11-May-2013

I agree, KH refused elegantly to be pulled into the R3 'super smashing great' tendency.

I loved the way he gently put down Mompou's work from a personal point of view (he was very careful to preface almost everything he said with "for me" or similar). He's a bracing critic, I enjoy everything he says (though his voice isn't - "for me" - the most mellifluous radio listen).

[Sir Velo]

French piano music - too much Polish?

[verismissimo]

... Well, I can't bear the dialogue format, but thought KH was not cajoled into agreeing with everything Andrew suggested. If anyone has not had a chance to hear Kenneth play, and better still to talk about music, he is both brilliant, witty and occasionally outrageous. I've just finished his book:

After the Golden Age. Romantic pianism and modern performance.

If anyone finds the modern super-star pianists too samey and just a tad too polished, then this book is for you.

Seconded, ardie.

[silvestrione]

I loved the way he gently put down Mompou's work from a personal point of view (he was very careful to preface almost everything he said with "for me" or similar). He's a bracing critic, I enjoy everything he says (though his voice isn't - "for me" - the most mellifluous radio listen).

I'm a long term lover of Mompou's music, pleased to see him getting his due, though recognising he's, what's the term, probably a 'cult' composer....likely to be appreciated only by a smallish group of devotees.

I'm just learning to play the whole of Musica Callada myself in my amateurish way, but I was delighted and excited to see that a pianist of Volodos' stature and character had recorded a whole CD of Mompou. From the extracts, I think he's more truly interested in the music than Stephen Hough, who also did a Mompou disc, which I found mannered.

So KH's remarks have changed my estimation of him a little, but only a little (I really liked him on the Liszt Sonata), and I was very grateful for Andrew's slipped-in remarks at the very end of the consideration of that disc, about how he'd been particularly interested in the Musica Callada pieces...confirms my estimation of him!

[HighlandDougie]

One of the best recitals I've ever experienced was Volodos at La Roque d'Anthéron in IIRC 2010 when Mompou featured in his programme. My memory of the accompanying printed programme is that Volodos became interested in Mompou while studying in Madrid. Whatever, it was very special indeed and, as Silvestrione rightly says above, it was less mannered than Stephen Hough (whom I had heard some years earlier at La R d'A when I'm pretty sure he included some Mompou). So, Volodos plays Mompou duly ordered, pace my fellow countryman's rather snooty put-down. Further on Mompou. I've greatly enjoyed this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mompou-Silent-Music-Jenny-Steinway/dp/B004P96X4E

[silvestrione]

Further on Mompou. I've greatly enjoyed this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mompou-Silen.../dp/B004P96X4E

Thanks for the tip, Highland, I'd never heard of that one. I have Javier Perianes, which is good. I've heard Herbert Henck's performance of Musica Callada praised, as well.
As someone pointed out, Alicia De Larrocha's version of Bk 4, which I had on LP, has not yet made it to CD.