"To me a performance is not an exhibition-- it's an offering.” - Marc-André Hamelin
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- Опубліковано 27 бер 2021
- www.livingtheclassicallife.com/
Living the Classical Life: Episode 84
Filmed on October 21, 2019. Living the Classical Life presents a long-awaited exclusive conversation with distinguished pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin. The narrative centers around the preparation and mindset for a Carnegie Hall appearance, and how Hamelin has managed to find a zone of performance completely free of the nerves that often plague others. Unique anecdotes and insights into his inner world reveal many surprises from a prolific musical life.
I remember chatting with him on AIM during my oberlin years back in 2001. I was and still am obsessed with his compositions. I played his Rossini etude and prelude and fugue on my senior recital in Oberlin. I sent him a recording and he complimented me saying these were composed for you! I’ll never forget that!
Hearing your performance of his pieces I can certainly understand his verdict!
Subtle flex but ok
We need MIDI files of Hamelin's pieces.
Marc Andre Hamelin is one of the most personable concert pianists I have met, and I've met quite a number. He is amusing and modest, and highly intelligent.
The 'Roslavets: Piano Music' album is noteworthy for those interested.
I'm disappointed he doesn't speak with a quebecois accent.
@@erika6651 - What do you mean? He was raised in both languages
He doesn't get stage fright because he is giving each audience member an "offering".
A selfless person, or approach, to performance art. How refreshing!
He doesn't get stage fright because he has a technique and an intellect that never let him down. No need to worry about goofing up, which I guess is the root of stage fright.
He has more to offer his listeners than most players.
I wish it was that easy to get rid of stage fright for me. One day...
What a wonderful human being & that can be said of the interviewer too. Truly humble & oozing musical genius.
Thanks for watching, Navroze Lalkaka!
He doesn't have any ego, that's why he doesn't fear the stage, only has music to offer, pure music. I love this pianist since ever, I appreciate how bravely he chooses his repertoire. I heard the best N. MEDTNER works played by him!! 🎶👏👏👏
Makes sense. The ego causes the nerves.
Now the question would be: Why doesn't he have an ego? My guess would be that he feels loved and accepted regardless of what happens on the stage. I'd guess his parents, wife, children and friends receive his life and reciprocate.
That he might be the greatest pianist ever probably also has something to do with that.
A few years after he finished the Medtner set, I was lucky enough to hear Marc-Andre Hamelin play the "Night Wind" sonata at Bargemusic in Brooklyn. Hearing his pianism conjure that enormous piece in a 130-seat was unforgettable.
Lang Lang has much to learn from him .
@@karmaushiu8924 and vice versa. Lang Lang's playing is full of breath, character and spontaneity. He's no con artist by any means.
You got Marc Andre Hamelin on your channel??!! Wow!!
His answer to the last question, that his wife is his inspiration, touched me
Hamelin is a true Canadian treasure who should be more widely appreciated. Horowitz technique with incredible intelligence and endless quests to promote underplayed piano masterpieces. Incredible !
@Mazzel Tov Humble apologies. From now on I will seek your advice as the world authority on piano technique. Will no longer make any comparisons to Horowitz whom the public and Harold Shoenberg have falsely regarded as the greatest technician since Liszt. The videos of him playing La Flamme by Scriabin and the Carmens Variations were obviously doctored and he is in reality just a stubby handed amateur finger man. WTF yourself !
@Mazzel Tov moronic comment. And typical of a fool to even bother comparing such remarkable techniques. No authority whatsoever.
Marc-André's playing, quite honestly, doesn't remind me of Horowitz. Although I can see why someone might say, giving the dazzling technique. But they are different, although maybe nobody disputes that. You guys go ahead and argue about comparing techniques. Or arguing about whatever. No judgment one way or the other. Look at me, above it all. Haha. 😇Anyway. Horowitz is for me, unique, as is Hamelin. Love, Horiwitz, love Hamelin! 😀
@Mazzel Tov horowitz is one of if not the greatest pianist who ever lived. wtf are you on
I had to google the definitions of like 30 vocabulary words I heard during their interview! Brilliant people.
Never had a chance to hear him in concert...but I'm amazed at how he is able to memorize and play some of the most obscure, yet monstrously difficult scores...
He's a genius imo
“I want (people) to judge (and love) the music and not me.” For Hamelin, the music is not bound up in his ego.
I love this series and how Bognar allows artists to talk deeply about music. However, I sometimes feel, as I do in this episode, that he hasn’t always understood that great musicians are on another level, and that their performances are about the music and not about looking or sounding great to the audience. It goes to another level. As listeners, we are given the opportunity to share in the beauty and wonder of the art, the music.
Thanks for writing and for watching! All the musicians we have spoken to have walked a similar path. None are free from the pitfalls and the desire to transcend, even if from their own judgement. It’s not about appearances but about the intensities of the pursuit of reaching the best level on stage-and this applies to anybody. I would say that the greatest artists we have spoken to were the most susceptible. And, of the artists we were not able to catch from the past, the most famous instances were Horowitz, Rachmaninoff, Richter, Chopin, and Liszt. All were intensely aware of how they were judged before their audience, even if their musical aims were as high as they obviously were.
Our show aims to demystify the legends and to challenge the notion that artists, and furthermore the higher levels of them, are inherently a different breed. Chopin as pianist played primarily his own works on stage as pianist-yet he was so paranoid about what people thought of him and his playing that he planted friends in strategic positions in the hall in order to have them report back what they said. As I mentioned to Mr. Hamelin in this conversation, every artist we spoke to so far-with the exception of two of them-suffers from often intense stage fright; if that’s the case, it’s a subject we are very interested in, especially given my own struggles with it as performer. If you haven’t seen it already, watch Yefim Bronfman’s episode-he speaks extensively about it and why it arises for him and has only gotten worse with age.
We hope you will continue to enjoy the show-there are more great episodes on the way!
@@dang4546 he sure is amazing! I’m not sure it’s mutually exclusive though-there are lots of great artists I’ve met who have no technical issues and emphasize the music and its world and ideals, yet they still get nervous. I find that really amazing to probe as a subject-and I do it plenty on the show. I spent some weeks behind the scenes with Martha Argerich, and I’ve never seen anybody get nervous, despite her limitless abilities and her obsessive devotion to the music. So in my estimation it has to do with other factors. In my private discussions with other great artists, they all admit to being tremendously aware of how they are being perceived, and of course the young ones know they must be liked to the extent that conductors and presenters wish to hire them-Stephen Hough‘s episode has a fascinating discussion about that. Hamelin is only the third one we’ve spoken to out of nearly 90 who report not getting nervous-we find that fascinating! Thanks so much for watching and writing. Warmest wishes, -z
@@dang4546 your words make it all worth the effort 🥂
Mr Bognar, thank you for your reply. I’m sorry I did not see this sooner.
I agree that stage fright depends on many factors. I, too, had the same problem, and left performance because of it. However, my experiences with both performing and practising have left with me with a profound joy of both playing for myself and also listening to great performances.
I love your interview with Hamelin here, and how you are open and honest about your own feelings of vulnerability. Your questions about being judged shows that Hamelin likely had a ‘gentle’ childhood, in which he did not, like most of us, suffer from childhood ‘traumas’.
I have been listening to and reading books by Dr Gabor Maté, who explains how our adult vulnerabilities are a result of childhood experiences that we felt as traumas, even small-t traumas, that were no one‘s fault. For me, I realise that early childhood life experiences caused my own profound insecurities that made me doubt myself and my abilities. This fed my fears and anxiety, and I continually sought to please others, in order to prove my own worth. Mr Hamelin does not have this.
As an adult, my fears finally became so strong that I had to leave performing. Now, after many decades, when I sit down to play for myself, I again find the joy and happiness that I found in music as a young child. This is what I hear in Marc André Hamelin.
I now understand my fears and vulnerability, and only in working through these on a deep, personal level, have I come out the other side, to have the self-confidence I always wanted. I no longer have a need to please others.
As a young child, like Hamelin, I did not have stage fright, but as I grew older, I had prolonged experiences in my life that affected my confidence. I did not realise that these were traumas that really changed who I was, until now. For me, stage fright was not about performing, per se, but about my own insecurities! It was only when I explored, with compassion, the origins of my own fears, that pleasing others no longer was important.
Oh wow, he is actually commenting his Feinberg 3rd sonata performance in London's Wigmore Hall. And I was actually there that day!! (my only time in Wigmore, and my only live attendance to Hamelin). I remember this anecdote of course, that Feinberg didn't want to publish, and Hamelin invited us to decide for ourselves. It was an amazing concert. I am very greatful to Marc-André Hamelin to play this music ; and for Living the Classical Life to bring this anecdote back to my memory.
I watched him live at Carnegie Hall a couple years ago. This guy's piano technique has got to be one of the best on earth
Michael Ponti had a bigger technique and more power ("ten pianists in one" as he was once described), and a much larger repertoire.
Well Jimmy Jones, were not on a weird competition of virtuosos here. Relax. Hamelin has a monstrous technique and his repertoire shows that. He is not the only thought
I absolutely adore Hamelin. He has insane technique, wonderful phrasing and last but not least he is offering and introducing me and many others to composers like Alkan and their work. It can get tiring to hear a chopin waltz or nocturne for the thousands time. Its so mainstream, that its almost too much. So im glad he comes up with new (old) pieces.
I know how you feel. I have two of the CD's he made featuring Alkan's music (among the fifty or so Alkan CDs I have) and I keep going back to those two when I am an "Alkan mood".
We are so fortunate to have copious audio (studio and live recordings) evidence to affirm that Hamelin is and will be the greatest piano virtuoso in the history of mankind.
Man, Hamelin seems to be so honest and down to earth, even if he exists in this high art world. I bet it'd be fucking awesome to have a beer with that guy
It is! I was lucky enough and he is indeed an incredibly nice and honest guy!
finally Hamelin, my hero 🙏
fantastic Interview as always!!
Thanks for watching, Elia Seiffert!
If only more performers were like him. Always the music first, leave your egos behind and offer some beautiful music from the heart, instead of worrying about what you look like. Brilliant!
Hamelin oozes both gratitude and presence. No wonder he has become more well known over time. He has deep gratitude for what he gets to do, for the people he plays for, and performs with an 'Eckhart-Tollen' level of present-moment awareness. When you ask him about stage fright you can tell in his response that his playing is entirely devoid of ego - his love of playing isn't about himself, it's about the "offering" he gets to give to the audience. This concept still seems to be difficult for many people to comprehend. When you care more about the music, you - 'the person' - disappear, allowing Life to work through you, so there's no reason to get scared of anything.
Excellent insightful interview of a wonderful musician and human❤
Really enjoyed this beautiful interview. Thank you very much!
Thanks for watching, Paula Espín - Piano!
Один из самых гениальных пианистов- виртуозов!♥️ !
Каждый день так и тянет слушать в его исполнении «Чакону» И. С. Баха- Бузони. Такая хрустальная филигранность и космическая красота !♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
such a thoughtful and reflective interview, thank you for sharing this gem!
Thanks for watching, M. Ahsan!
His concert at Carnegie, was perhaps, the best concert I've ever been
Wow that was such an incredible moment, both the interviewer and Hamelin were such a pleasure to listen to.
Marc is truly the type of musician who is ,first and foremost, kind and brilliant human being who brings his magnificent gifts and talent to the world of music. Interestingly, he truly enlightens our appreciation of every piece bringing a burnished musicianship replete with intelligence, burnished technique and expresses all the variety of human emotions and yes, we adore his sense of humor! What a guy!
A genius and a wonderful human being. A God in the Olympus when playing the piano and then down to earth in conversation.
'How many recordings of Marc-André Hamelin do you have?'
Me: Yes.
I have about twenty recordings by him. His unusual range of repertoire has opened up new musical worlds to me.
Zsolt Bognar is an extraordinary musician/pianist with the ability to host virtuoso pianists, including the like of Marc-Andre Hamlin, showing respect to their musical drive and engaging true thoughts... interviews like these are really enriching for both audience members and musicians/pianists - my view...
Thanks for your kind words, Paul T!
Finally I get to hear how to properly pronounce "Hamelin"!
Amlya...
Probably the living musician that has affected me most in my life, and my life (the enjoyable part of it) has been mostly affected by music
Marc-Andre sometimes thought carefully before answering. What we heard of his playing here sounded exquisite.
What beautiful and profound people, I really enjoyed this interview. greetings from Argentina, Buenos Aires.
Thanks for watching, Juan Boero!
WHEW! Marc-Andre is so cool...Pfft...forget indoor sunglasses and explosions. Every interview he gives, I find myself on the edge of my seat...what a performer and amazing guide to the world of music...a human treasure! Imaging being so good for SO LONG you can play Carnige Hall 28 years later....HAHAHH
(Not to put words into his mouth) He has such respect and faith that the music stands on its own. Its incredible.
This is one of the very best !
Thanks for watching, Cath Schofield!
Rewarding experience of listening to thoughtful questions and similarly thoughtful answers, being part of this beautiful unraveling of the music enigma. Thank you
Thanks for watching, Olga Sandakova!
Wonderfully sincere and inspiring!
I love his humorous repertoire! I wish there was more of it in general. Perhaps some musicians feel self-conscious about that and therefore don't do it. The reaction he's got in Vienna could potentially crush someone else.
We are so lucky to have one of the greatest of virtuosi with us now. Hamelin has always been so brave and adventurous with his gifts. I still have the same excitement I did as a kid to see what he chooses and how he executes the work. On top of it all, he is such a sweet soul. Bless him.
And this is why some musicians are way higher than others. They describe themselves as a Translator! and their purpose is to provide the composer's thoughts to the audience as clear as they can. Hamelin is just amazing ...
Thanks a lot for this great interview ❤
Thanks for watching, It's Piano!
shouldt be everyone like this? it makes me so sad that many musicians mistreat great music to present THEMSELVES (sorr for my weak engslish)
@@eliaseiffert2207 Yes of course! Great musicians are special because they are not just a showman. Their purpose is more valuable.
My teacher went to a lot of Rubinstein concerts. She said he would go off on musical tangents all the time. If you didn’t know the score you would have no idea he was in trouble and making things up. That is the way to avoid stage fright !
If everyone approached the music the same way, classical music would have died a long time ago.
To me hamelin is the most unbelievable pianist I know just sheer virtuosity totally under his belt gotta be one of the best in the world
Michael Ponti was a greater technician and all-round pianist.
@Mazzel Tov I attended a recital of Hamelin two years ago. Full of wrong notes. Then I saw one of Pollini - perfect from beginning to end.
Which wrong notes?
@Mazzel Tov I could care less about Bach. Ponti's interpretations of large-scale Romantic and modern works were second to none. And the mistakes Hamelin made were in standard works more than two years ago, so can't remember exact pieces. And if it was a dodecaphonic piece, I'm sure my decoding abilities would surpass yours. He needs to practice more instead of relying on natural ability all the time. With Pollini, you get perfection from beginning to end - not that this is what constitutes a great technique and musicianship, but it's a pleasure to listen to.
0 dislikes, my gosh! The people are finally responding to the most great virtuoso pianist of all the history!
@Charles-Valentin Alkan you and I weren't there for Liszt. But we're here for Hamelin.
Thank you very much. I’ve been waiting for this one for quite some time :-D.
Thanks for watching, XYZ Pno!
What a wonderful and inspiring interview!
Truly amazing!
These two have 5.1 Dolby surround voices. So soothing...
I am in awe. This man possessing supreme gifts is THE most deserving interpreter to share his gifts with the world. There may be a lot of fine pianists, but when I hear people simply mention Hamelin in a list of others, I know they have totally missed the point. No. This is a supreme interpreter, and an ideal guardian of the once in a lifetime talents God has given him. I wish him--and all of us--many years of genius communicating with the world. One's life is for the better having been in MAH's presence.
what a great interview
Excellent Interview and wonderful questions!
Incredible man. His approach to offering and sharing is unique. Wow!
amazing
I have been to at least half a dozen of his performances and they all have been wonderful. I was touched by his tribute to his wife, Cathy Fuller, at the end of the interview. I have known her for almost 20 years and she is indeed amazing person.
fantastic pianist Marc Hamelin
Wow! Amazing interview. So insightful...
One of the most brilliant pianists in this century!! Thank you! 🤗
Thanks for watching, Felix Li-En!
omg what superb technique!! Amazing!!!
Many thanks for this gem!
Thanks for watching, kx3kx3!
Wow.. so Amazing... 😱
Fantastic interview.... two fantastic musicians and human beings. Thank you both.
What an illuminating, invitingly memorable interview! And what a poignant, towering musical powerhouse is Marc-Andre Hamelin! I look all the more forward to hearing him in Berkeley next month. Thank you for such an important contribution to contemporary culture and aesthetics.
My younger brother's favourite pianist, always went to your concerts when you were in London.
Merci marc André!!! Quelle beauté!!!
It is thanks to your repertoire (Roslavets among others) that you are such a brilliant pianist/musician !
Thank You!
Thanks for watching, MrMakemies!
His live recording of Schumanns Carnaval on UA-cam is so incredible.
That scriabin is absolutely beautiful
Wonderful interview - a true conversation. Very well done, Zsolt! Thank you for your efforts (here and elsewhere), and a thanks to Marc-André for giving of his time on the day before his Carnegie Hall recital(!).
Thank you so so much for your support--this means so much to us, and to me personally--it takes so much time, planning, and energy to do these full productions, and it is because of dedicated followers like you that it is worth it.
Ahhhh!!!!! 😱💚💚💚💚
What a cool guy! So modest compared to other musicians.
Enjoyed watching the interview.
Quite inspiring.
Thank you so so much--thanks for writing and for watching!
This is such a joy to be introduced to this channel and these very in-depth questions and answers. I do wish that a few questions in this overall series tried to nail down a bit more about the musicians' favorite composers and also strange things that happened in concertos while playing live. For instance, I'd love to ask: what happens on the rare occasion that the soloist and orchestra are a quarter-beat off, and how does the soloist keep that very tiny moment from blowing up badly and going off the rails. Because it can happen. Hamelin is a delight--so very smart and also humorous. I love that he actually turned to the piano and played his answer at one point rather than merely expressing his answer verbally.
Gracias por la maravillosa entrevista! Es alentador saber que existen seres humanos íntegros, deberíamos tener más de esto, es luz en el camino que hacemos, gracias otra vez!
¡Gracias por vernos, Maria Luisa Rendon! ¡La integridad es algo hermoso!
Thank you for this great interview!
Thanks for watching, Ignas Maknickas!
Pažiūrėjau tavo kanale vaizdo įrašus; gerai groji, Ignai!
@@theunknown617 dėkoju!
Je dois dire qo’on le reçoit aussi comme un cadeau! 😍
Marc have a great teknic and also a great musicality.
I think he has been at his best visiting the August week at the vor Husum Castle Rarities Festival in Denmark. He was almost always present since 1988. And with wonderful repertoire. These recitals were released by the danish label Danacord.
Heard MAH at a recital in Toronto years ago. He has a great sense of humour - played an encore of his made up variation for Beethoven's Diabelli , reminiscent of Chopsticks. Brought the house down. Wish it was recorded.
Thanks for sharing a great MAH anecdote, Dinshaw Burjorjee!
Not sure if you’re aware, but I believe your referring to his "Suggestion Diabellique“ which is published in the On The Short Side book.
I thought i played the piano, but everytime I hear him, i think of taking up the ukelele.
Canada has something special, from there we had Glenn Gould, have Angela Hewitt and Hamelin and Yuja Wang lives there.
Angela Hewitt plays like an old lady
These expressions annoy me a bit, every country has great artists. Dont think you are something better just because you are from Canada and some artists are from there as well.
@@classicalmusiclover4029 Canada is a bad bad bad country, so, dear annoyed person. Don't take it so seriously the staff you read here in UA-cam, nor do I take this way what I wrote above.
And Charles Richard Hamelin
Great interview and great artist!
Thanks for watching, Miguel Sousa!
Lovely interview, as ever with the BEST interviewer and molto simpatico subject! I was in Wigmore for that Feinberg 3rd sonata and confirm the audience enthusiasm...even those who didn't "get" the work straightaway (and who could?), were fascinated to have such a piece "unlocked" for them! Here, MAH omitted what he wryly quipped to that audience; on saying that maybe Feinberg thunk he'd "gone too far"..... he said: "some days i think i agree!"
On the subject of performance nerves; i think i'd have been nervous even turning the pages for that piece! Thanks, as ever.
Thanks for watching, NOSEhow2LIV, and for sharing your funny experience with MAH!
@NOSEhow2LIV Many thanks for your words--they mean so much to me.
@@richterkleiber Your interviews give so much pleasure to so many, it is for us to thank you!
Thank you for your interesting observation on performing with/without the music.
Preferring to present music in performance as theatre...versus music as more a "task".
Also needing to be a "good translator" of the composer's intentions.
Did I just hear a hybrid of La Campanella and variations on a theme by Paganini?? Jesus Christ, that sounded fucking amazing. Was that arrangement by Hamelin himself?
Yes it´s part of his Paganini Variations.
And Beethoven's op 109 in the beginning.
I was first awakened to Hamelin's remarkable compositional skill when I heard the Toccata on L'Homme armé that he wrote for the Cliburn competition, but I think the Paganini Variations will never be surpassed for the sublime union of wit and musical genius they represent.
Not always my first go to pianist for a given piece... BUT... HIS interviews are some of the VERY best out there... EVERY pianist is wise to listen to them... FILLED to the top with helpful first hand information... and the dude is SOOO particle...and easy to understand! Don't get me wrong... I'm a HUGE Marc-Andrea Hamlin fan! always was... always will be... I still remember YEARS ago when he played on some Hollywood show (which NEVER happens any more, because the "new" crowd dosen't allow it... certainly NOT on the Grammy's anymore) and John Stewart gave him shit about the key signature... I think Marc played one of those terribly difficult Chopin/Godowsky etudes...??? I think...? OF COURSE, to all the real music lovers... IT WAS the highlight of the show... OF COURSE!
He is a great piantist. He should record more Liszt for posterity's sake. Marc-Andre, do more Liszt!!
21:08 'whatever' pretty much my whole life summed up
My dream is play music inside his house!
Thank you for this interview! I have all his recordings, but this is the first interview I have heard. He is really at ease and personable. I have so many questions. What is his day like? How many hours per day does he play? Does he teach? Does he have a teacher? How many pianos does he own? Does he tune them himself? Does he compose, even in secret? If he wasn't a pianist, what profession would he choose? If he were to design a piano, what would he want? When he begins playing, how does he warm up... scales? Does he play other instruments? When he travels, does he take a portable piano with him? I hope you can have more interviews with him. This one seems far too short!
Thanks for watching, Roger Ward! Those are great questions. Next time!
Search Hamelin Etudes, Hamelin Variations on a Theme of Paganini or Toccata on L'homme Arme (sry, I don't speak french) :)
If you have all his recordings, you should know that he is a very good composer!
@@kx3kx3 I agree. He's an excellent composer and genuine, earthy person.
Funny that the variation we first hear begins with a quote from Beethovens 109. Mr. Hamelin, is this just a nod to old Ludwig Van?
Twenty-odd years between engagements at Carnegie Hall? How foolish talentless promoters are. They must have been out of their tiny minds.
Thank you for this fantastic series! I keep hoping to see Sergei Babayan here. Any chance?
Thank you for watching, J& G! We keep hoping to see SB here too! We've been trying to get an interview for years!
You should record one with David Korevaar or Robert Hill!
NoICE
@hamelin how about some Roger Sessions Complete Piano Music. or George T. Walker?
Would love to see the video of Richter sight reading. Can’t seem to find it 😬😬
What a charming human being!
Can you do one with Martha Argerich, please?
Paganini with Campanella!
It’s a devotion…
Anyone have a link to the Richter performance he speaks of at 29:31?