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Track Listing:

1
Beethoven: Rondo in C major, Op. 51, No. 1
 
2
Beethoven: Rondo in, Op. 51, No. 2
 
3
George Enescu: Suite No. 2 for piano, Op. 10 - Toccata
 
4
George Enescu: Suite No. 2 for piano, Op. 10 - Sarabande
 
5
George Enescu: Suite No. 2 for piano, Op. 10 - Pavane
 
6
George Enescu: Suite No. 2 for piano, Op. 10 - Bourre
 
7
Chopin: Ballade No. 3 in A-fl at major, Op. 47
 
8
Chopin: Nocturne in E-fl at major, Op. 55, No. 2
 
9
Chopin: Introduction and Rondo in E-fl at major, Op. 16
 
10
Chopin: Polonaise No. 6 in A-flat major (Heroic), Op. 53
 

Charles Richard-Hamelin :

Live - Beethoven, Enescu, Chopin


Analekta is proud to present Live: Beethoven – Enescu – Chopin, the second album by Charles Richard-Hamelin, one of the most notable pianists of his generation, silver medalist and winner of the Krystian Zimerman Prize for best performance of a sonata at the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw.

Recorded before an audience at Salle Raoul-Jobin in Québec City's Palais Montcalm this past May, Live: Beethoven – Enescu – Chopin confirms the impressive talent of the Québec pianist.

A harmonious blend of more familiar works and some lesser-known melodies, the album is a display of the teaming musical life of the 19th century. Although composed over a period lasting barely more than one hundred years, the works brought together on this album reflect the musical styles of three eras. The two Rondos for piano, Op. 51, by Ludwig van Beethoven, originally conceived separately, share a number of traits and bear the legacy of classicism. The Suite No. 2 for piano, Op. 10, by Romanian pianist George Enescu, consists of four movements filled with light and contrast, illustrates one of the musical directions that would influence modern composition. From Frédéric Chopin, four works of the romantic period: the Rondo in E-flat major, Op. 16, lively and virtuoso, evoking the spirit of the composer's early work, then three mature pieces: the imposing Polonaise in A-flat major, Op. 53, the darker-hued Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 55, No. 2 and the luminous Ballade in A-flat major, Op. 47.

Invitations to perform all over the world have been piling up for Charles Richard-Hamelin. His mastery of the instrument never fails to impress: "Charles Richard-Hamelin possesses a splendid technique and a consummate art of dynamics capable of expression in the most delicate pianissimos" (Scena, Czech Republic), and "His technique is substantial but never heavy. His playing is firmly anchored, so to speak, and the music is quite simply magnificent" (Ongaku No Tomo, Japon). Everywhere he plays he wins over audiences and critics by way of his spot-on, deeply felt interpretations: "Chopin's Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, was so well executed that it was impossible to not be astounded at the fact that he finished in second place at the Chopin Competition" (The Korea Herald, Korea).

Charles Richard-Hamelin's first solo album, dedicated to late works by Chopin and released in September 2015 on the Analekta label, earned critical praise around the world, including from prestigious BBC Music Magazine, which wrote about the pianist: "Fluent, multifaceted and tonally seductive, he is a technician of exceptional elegance and sophistication."