The Romantic Piano Concerto Vol.53

The Reger Piano Concerto has a formidable reputation dense, harmonically complex and with far too many notes for the average pianist. Who better then to decipher it than
Marc-André Hamelin? In his hands, this rarely recorded behemoth reveals both passion and a lyricism so often lost in lesser performances. He is wonderfully partnered by Ilan Volkov and the Rundfunk- Sinfonieorchester Berlin, who share the pianist s desire to elucidate an often misunderstood work. While the Reger concerto comes from the end of his career, the Strauss Burleske is a product of that composer s prodigious youth. This ebullient work has long been a Hamelin party-piece, and he plays it with an unmatched brilliance that surely captures the essence of this humorous music and will have listeners on the edges of their seats.