I also think that hamelin is a great musician but he clearly just can't feel the spanish fire that this piece has, and when you don't feel the music, no matter how good and virtuous you are, the interpretation will always be missing something...
I have to admit that spanish musicians such as Carbone, De Larrocha... are the best pianists at spanish music as they give their work that feeling no oen else can...
Goodness gracious. I'd listen to Carbone over this guy any day. And I wasn't bowled over that interpretation either. I'm sure the bad recording doesn't help, but this sounds like an amorphous jumble, delivered at high speed and with little regard for poor old Isaac. What happened to the elegance of these pieces?
as much as variety is the spice to life, i dont think hamelin did much service to the piece for me here... it's all mushed together. but wow, am i complaining? the guy is insane to play it that fast *drool drool*
I think much of the confusion is caused by the amount of reverb in this recording. Its making him sound more cavalier than I normally expect from him.
this comment will get me in trouble, no doubt... but, my first instinct is to say "you don't know what you're talking about" -- that comes from wanting to protect Marc-Andre (my favorite pianist) -- BUT, you should try giving the definitive edition of the score a looking over... the "wrong notes" you hear are Albeniz's wonderful harmonics with some weird reverb from the concert-hall/video-recording.
With all due respect, my opinion is also that this is a poor version of Lavapies, a piece that I love and know well although I can't play it myself :( because it's so f*** hard. And neither can he, at least at that speed. First, it looses its character and second, he gets out of control and messes up all those wonderful Albeniz's harmonics AND rythms by introducing real "wrong notes" besides the ones already in the score. And yes, the sound quality is horrible but that's not his fault.
I just checked the version by Pedro Carbone (which I didn't know was available in youtube) and it is the best Lavapies I've ever heard, even better that Delarrocha's. I had a chance to hear both pianists (Carbone & Hamelin) at IKIF in New York and Carbone's Iberia is far superior than Hamelin's. Hamelin is great when speed is required but Iberia requires a musicianship that he lacks. I hope this comment doesn't get me in trouble either :)
You're in BIG trouble. You live in NYC? I live in NYC. WATCH OUT... just kidding... but, seriously... I saw Hamelin do Iberia at Miller Theatre (Columbia University) a couple years ago. His conception of the work is out of the ordinary, yes, but I think it's rather extraordinary. It speaks much more for the piece than I traditionally hear by most performers, etc.
I have to agree that Hameliton has missed the point. Iberia is not about virtuosity and there are wrongs notes here because I do play this piece. Much of Iberia is based on popular Spanish dance rhythm and several of them can be danced(Triana,Albaicin,Malaga) without altering rythm. Lavapies is based on typical castellion dance rythnm at this speed dancing would not be possible, so the general character is missing.
I recorded this in Plano, TX. I think he wore the cowboy shirt to fit-in in Texas. We are all gun-toting, horse-riding shit-kickers of course...hmmm where is my 7mm remington mag i see an axis deer on my property from here...Seriously I used my JVC GR-HD1 and would've recorded the whole concert only no one told me that sony mini-dv hd tapes don't work on JVC cameras. It was shot in JUne of 2004. I easily smuggled my camera in my back-pack claiming to be a student. More bootleg piano vids!
Boring.
oinetakoa 2 years ago
Clearly, he does not understand what Albeniz had in mind. Disappointing. This is a very poor showing of the enormous talent Hamelin posses.
Hachechulo 2 years ago
I also think that hamelin is a great musician but he clearly just can't feel the spanish fire that this piece has, and when you don't feel the music, no matter how good and virtuous you are, the interpretation will always be missing something...
I have to admit that spanish musicians such as Carbone, De Larrocha... are the best pianists at spanish music as they give their work that feeling no oen else can...
TikiFury 2 years ago 2
Listen to Ciccolini's...
patrickvanham 3 years ago
Goodness gracious. I'd listen to Carbone over this guy any day. And I wasn't bowled over that interpretation either. I'm sure the bad recording doesn't help, but this sounds like an amorphous jumble, delivered at high speed and with little regard for poor old Isaac. What happened to the elegance of these pieces?
pepchen440 3 years ago
yeh my cat makes better sounds when they run up and down the keyboard but seriously hamelin has super talent
afertyus1000 3 years ago 2
Well, I believe that this is roughly the same tempi that de Larrocha takes, so I wouldn't say it's unreasonably fast
Lisztianpiano 3 years ago
I don't like it at all, though I admire this technique, the most wonderful I have seen.
oinetakoa 3 years ago
as much as variety is the spice to life, i dont think hamelin did much service to the piece for me here... it's all mushed together. but wow, am i complaining? the guy is insane to play it that fast *drool drool*
kobiianardo 4 years ago
this is alright, but couldn't you have put the watermark in the corner instead of right in the middle? and why does it cut-off before the end?
suremate 4 years ago
I think much of the confusion is caused by the amount of reverb in this recording. Its making him sound more cavalier than I normally expect from him.
mcmilld1 5 years ago
That is such a bizarre interpretation
sonicv3 5 years ago
this guy doesn't have a clue about spanish music. way too many wrong notes too! compare to carbone's video of lavapies, much, much better.
ISIDRORIERA 5 years ago
this comment will get me in trouble, no doubt... but, my first instinct is to say "you don't know what you're talking about" -- that comes from wanting to protect Marc-Andre (my favorite pianist) -- BUT, you should try giving the definitive edition of the score a looking over... the "wrong notes" you hear are Albeniz's wonderful harmonics with some weird reverb from the concert-hall/video-recording.
daeviydt 5 years ago
With all due respect, my opinion is also that this is a poor version of Lavapies, a piece that I love and know well although I can't play it myself :( because it's so f*** hard. And neither can he, at least at that speed. First, it looses its character and second, he gets out of control and messes up all those wonderful Albeniz's harmonics AND rythms by introducing real "wrong notes" besides the ones already in the score. And yes, the sound quality is horrible but that's not his fault.
krose73 5 years ago
I just checked the version by Pedro Carbone (which I didn't know was available in youtube) and it is the best Lavapies I've ever heard, even better that Delarrocha's. I had a chance to hear both pianists (Carbone & Hamelin) at IKIF in New York and Carbone's Iberia is far superior than Hamelin's. Hamelin is great when speed is required but Iberia requires a musicianship that he lacks. I hope this comment doesn't get me in trouble either :)
krose73 5 years ago
You're in BIG trouble. You live in NYC? I live in NYC. WATCH OUT... just kidding... but, seriously... I saw Hamelin do Iberia at Miller Theatre (Columbia University) a couple years ago. His conception of the work is out of the ordinary, yes, but I think it's rather extraordinary. It speaks much more for the piece than I traditionally hear by most performers, etc.
daeviydt 5 years ago
I have to agree that Hameliton has missed the point. Iberia is not about virtuosity and there are wrongs notes here because I do play this piece. Much of Iberia is based on popular Spanish dance rhythm and several of them can be danced(Triana,Albaicin,Malaga) without altering rythm. Lavapies is based on typical castellion dance rythnm at this speed dancing would not be possible, so the general character is missing.
bcnjd 4 years ago
hahaha i vil reup a complete vid of diz piece zumty, n i think diz iz from a random canadian rectal
DaComme 5 years ago
They do random rectals, in Canada? Oh my. And I thought it was such a lovely country.
ehrenfest 5 years ago
oh, and whats written on the back of his t-shirt? where did he perform this? is this at the roque de antheron?
Thanks,
Tom
tompilk 5 years ago
I recorded this in Plano, TX. I think he wore the cowboy shirt to fit-in in Texas. We are all gun-toting, horse-riding shit-kickers of course...hmmm where is my 7mm remington mag i see an axis deer on my property from here...Seriously I used my JVC GR-HD1 and would've recorded the whole concert only no one told me that sony mini-dv hd tapes don't work on JVC cameras. It was shot in JUne of 2004. I easily smuggled my camera in my back-pack claiming to be a student. More bootleg piano vids!
RozarSmacco 3 years ago
great vid! thanks,
tom
tompilk 5 years ago