Utwory na płycie:

• Bentz Woods: Valse Phantastique
• Behr/Rachmaninov: Polka De W R
• Hofmann: Mignonettes - Nocturne, 'Complaint'
• Hofmann: Charakterskizzen, Op. 40 - #4 Kaleidoskop
• Hamelin: Étude #3, 'D'Après Paganini-Liszt'
• Blumenfeld: Étude Pour La Main Gauche Seule, Op. 36
• Gimpel: Offenbach: Concert Paraphrase Of The Song Of The Soldiers Of The Sea
• Hamelin: Étude #6, 'Essercizio Per Pianoforte, Omaggio A Domenico Scarlatti'
• Massenet: Valse Folle
• Moszkowski: Études De Virtuosité, Op. 72 - #13 In A Flat Minor
• Poulenc: Intermezzo In A Flat
• Godowsky: Triakontameron - #11 Alt Wien
• Michalowski: Étude D'Après L'Impromptu En La Bémol Majeur De Fr Chopin, Op. 29
• Lourié: 4 Pièces - #4 Gigue
• Blanchet: Turquie, Op. 18, '3 Morceaux De Piano' - #3 Au Jardin Du Vieux Sérail
• Casella: 2 Contrastes - #1 Grazioso, 'Hommage À Chopin'
• Casella: 2 Contrastes - #2 Antigrazioso
• Vallier: Toccatina
• Glazunov/Hamelin: Saisons - Petit Adagio
• Kapustin: Toccatina, Op. 36

To all his many fans this disc is going to be 'The Best Marc-André Hamelin Album Ever' or perhaps 'The Ultimate Marc-André Album'. The CD is a collection of the kind of wild and wacky encores that so typify Marc-André's recitals. Some are fairly well known such as the Rachmaninov and Godowsky but most are gems that have been long forgotten or, in the case of Marc's own studies, or the Kapustin, are new additions to the encore tradition. All are guaranteed to make the listener either gasp in astonishment or swoon. Look out for the Gimpel paraphrase on a tune known in the US as The Marines Hymn, this is in the tradition of Horowitz at his most brilliant; then there's our title track Kaleidoscop, written and made famous by the great pianist Joseph Hofmann, it was also much championed by Cherkassky and is another tour de force. Marc-André himself is represented by his outrageously complex take on Liszt's La Campanella and by his pastiche of a Scarlatti sonata, which is very silly indeed! But it's not all bravura, our pianist has also made an arrangement of the well known Adagio from Glazunov's The Seasons which may bring a tear to the eye, as may the nostalgia of Alt Wein. Unmissable!

GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE; SUNDAY TIMES RECORD OF THE YEAR; 10 DE RÉPERTOIRE (FRANCE); CANNES CLASSIQUE AWARD

'This collection of virtuoso encores by mostly forgotten pianist-composers is simply sensational' (The Sunday Times)

'Even if you are used to drawing your breath with incredulity at Hamelin's performances, you should tighten your seat-belt: This disc will make you gasp in amazement and roar in outraged laughter at the same time … the piano disc of the year, perfect in every aspect. Run out and buy it now' (Fanfare, USA)

'Twenty encore pieces for lovers of superhuman virtuosity' (Classic FM Magazine)

'Hamelin's performances are a wonder of brilliance and refinement. The recordings are superb, Jeremy Nicholas's notes a mine of informative titbits. In Marc-André Hamelin Hyperion clearly has a pianist to turn other record companies green with envy' (Gramophone)

'In latter times a new breed of pianist has appeared, the super-virtuoso for whom no technical challenge is too much. Chief of this tribe of metamusicians is the Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin, whose playing defies rational explanation … This is, in short, some of the most phenomenal playing you’ll ever hear' (Punch)

'Hamelin's refinement, jaw-dropping virtuosity and sense of sheer fun combine to make the whole lot both irresistible and simply unbelievable. With Hamelin around, who needs Horowitz?'(Piano International)

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Recording details: February 2001; Henry Wood Hall, London, United Kingdom; Produced by Andrew Keener; Engineered by Tony Faulkner; Release date: October 2001;