Korngold: Piano Concerto / Marx: Romantisches Klavierkonzert in E

'Mesmerising playing from Hamelin in two fascinating late-romantic concertos. Enthusiasts for virtuoso piano writing of the most fearsome difficulty will find it impossible not to be overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of Hamelin's playing' (Classic CD)

GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE

'All the most wildly romantic concertos you can think of rolled into one huge pianistic feat' (Gramophone)

'One of the most memorable in Hyperion's much-valued Romantic Piano Concerto series' (The Scotsman)

'Exceptional pianism' (BBC Music Magazine)

'Miracles of dexterity' (The Yorkshire Post)

'Superb' (Glasgow Herald)

'Heroic piano playing of monumental proportions' (In Tune, Japan/USA)

Super-virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin plays two of the lushest products of late Romanticism. The Marx concerto, long awaited by pianophiles the world over, is a first recording. Written in the 1930s, it is perhaps closest in style to Richard Strauss with its gushing melodies and rich orchestration.

The Korngold left-hand concerto was written (like that of Ravel) for Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein who had lost his right arm during the First World War. It is Korngold at his most experimental and features a very large and colourful orchestra, and a particularly demanding (and awkward) piano part.