"To me a performance is not an exhibition-- it's an offering.” - Marc-André Hamelin 

Hearing your performance of his pieces I can certainly understand his verdict!

Subtle flex but ok

We need MIDI files of Hamelin's pieces.

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

Thanks for watching, Navroze Lalkaka!

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...

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.

@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

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.

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

He's a genius imo

(Not to put words into his mouth) He has such respect and faith that the music stands on its own. Its incredible.

I have about twenty recordings by him. His unusual range of repertoire has opened up new musical worlds to me.

Thanks for watching, Elia Seiffert!

It is! I was lucky enough and he is indeed an incredibly nice and honest guy!

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".

Thanks for watching, Paula Espín - Piano!

Amlya...

Thanks for watching, M. Ahsan!

Thanks for watching, Juan Boero!

Thanks for watching, Cath Schofield!

Thanks for your kind words, Paul T!

Thanks for watching, Olga Sandakova!

@Charles-Valentin Alkan you and I weren't there for Liszt. But we're here for Hamelin.

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.

Thanks for watching, Felix Li-En!

Thanks for watching, kx3kx3!

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.

Thanks for watching, XYZ Pno!

Thanks for watching, MrMakemies!

Thanks for watching, Ignas Maknickas!

Pažiūrėjau tavo kanale vaizdo įrašus; gerai groji, Ignai!

@@theunknown617 dėkoju!

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.

Thank you so so much--thanks for writing and for watching!

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.

¡Gracias por vernos, Maria Luisa Rendon! ¡La integridad es algo hermoso!

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.

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 RU-vid, nor do I take this way what I wrote above.

And Charles Richard Hamelin

Thanks for watching, Miguel Sousa!

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 watching, J& G! We keep hoping to see SB here too! We've been trying to get an interview for years!

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.

We filmed October 2019-it was a very long tomorrow indeed :-)

Zimerman is one rare fish

I don't think Zimerman would do it. There are barely any interviews of him online.

But would be super cool if he did a interview here.