Marc-Andre Hamelin in a state of jazz

DIAPASON D'OR
BBC R3 CD REVIEW DISC OF THE WEEK
GRAMOPHONE EDITOR'S CHOICE

'Nikolai Kapustin's remarkable Sonata No 2 is a convincing integration of classical form with jazz. Alexis Weissenberg's Sonata in a State of Jazz, which evokes tango, Charleston, blues and samba in its four movements, is more idiosyncratic but no less dazzling' (The Scotsman)

"These are frothy charmers, not so far from classy Liberace, music for the boulevard cafe of your dreams. We can only hope there is enough material out there for Hamelin to consider a sequel." (William Dart NZ Herald)

Editor's Choice Gramophone Magazine June 2008

Marc-André Hamelin's technical and interpretative brilliance over an extraordinarily wide range of repertoire has placed him firmly in the top rank of living pianists. His recent recordings of Alkan and Haydn were universally acclaimed in the highest terms. In this latest recording, Hyperion presents Marc-André Hamelin 'in a state of jazz', as he turns his attention to the music of Kapustin, Antheil, Gulda and Weissenberg-all composers who felt keenly that there was a fundamental desire on the part of the concert-going public to hear something different. This wonderful disc is full of surprises-as Hamelin writes in his entertaining yet scholarly liner notes, 'There is no jazz in this recording. At least not in the traditional sense … There is much to be enjoyed here, and much to be amazed by'