6/5/20

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Marc-André Hamelin (1961- )

Canadian composer and performer Marc-André Hamelin is one of the most accomplished pianists of this generation. Having received 11 Grammy Award nominations in his lifetime, there is a very good chance that you have heard one of his recordings. I was first exposed to him (by my brother) in his capacity as a performer, as many online recordings of classic Romantic piano literature (and several unreasonably difficult works written by Leopold Godowsky) performed by Hamelin showcase brilliant expression as well as an incredible level of technical accuracy. While much more well known for his virtuosity as a performer, Marc-André Hamelin has also composed many piano works which are just as engaging as they are challenging. His two most famous compositions are probably his 12 Études in All the Minor Keys (which was written in the span of 23 years, only recently being completed in 2009) and today’s piece, Variations on a Theme of Paganini (completed in 2011).

Niccolò Paganini is one of history’s most well-known violin virtuosos and a composer of many demanding works for the same instrument. His most famous work is probably his 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1, which were considered near impossible when he wrote them (in the early 19th century). Within the collection, the 24th caprice is likely the most well known for its melody, as many composers after Paganini’s time writing their own variation on the theme. Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, a concertante work for piano and orchestra written in 1934, is a perfect example of one of these re-imaginings, presenting the melody in its original form before going off and manipulating it in one way or another. With that being said, Marc-André Hamelin is certainly in good company as someone who has written their own set of variations. Paganini’s Caprice Op. 1, No. 24 is actually a theme and variations itself, and while each variation challenges the violinist, the actual variations are rather tame in how closely they resemble the theme. The same cannot be said about Hamelin’s Variations on a Theme of Paganini. While the beginning of this solo piano work features a relatively unveiled statement of the melody, Hamelin quickly turns up the heat, causing the piece to barely resemble the original idea by the time you get five variations in. It is very likely that at some point in your first listening you’ll lose the melody in Marc-André Hamelin’s carefully designed chaos, but stick with it - the best thing to listen for if you’re lost is the iconic chord progression (||: i - V - i - V :|| - V/iv - iv - V/III - III - ii° - i - V - i).

Personally, I find this piece brilliantly amusing - Marc-André Hamelin constantly quotes familiar melodies of famous pieces in the canon, he does so in a way that is hilariously over-the-top and musically satisfying. I would even go so far as to say that Variations on a Theme of Paganini shares some similarities with last week’s post on Arnold Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw in that they both respond to Classical and Romantic era harmony in their own respectively contemporary ways. While Schoenberg went the route of developing his own 12-tone system to write completely atonal music, Hamelin hijacks Paganini’s melody with overpowering chromaticism and dense cluster chords. Sure, the almost abrasive quality of the piece may seem extreme at times, but it only adds to the absurdity of the piece as a whole. Beyond that, the piece is incredibly demanding for the performer, calling for large reaches, several-octave jumps, incredibly delicate yet fast passages, polyrhythms between the hands, or any combination of those things. Marc-André Hamelin is not shy in using the entire range of the piano, and does so in several different ways to create a unique mood for each of the 14 variations.

So as I wrap this post up, I would like to just reiterate how fun I find this piece to be. Marc-André Hamelin is being a comedian almost as much as he is being a virtuosic pianist in this piece, with jokes ranging from the very subtle quotations throughout to his less subtle quotations in the 11th variation and rambunctious harmony. Granted, it may be challenging to follow the original Paganini melody at all times, but even if you get too lost, don’t feel like simply admiring the incredible technical difficulty of the piece is in any way falling short of appreciating it. Also, if this piece isn’t your cup of tea, don’t let that stop you from checking out any of Hamelin’s other recordings - the man is a truly amazing pianist, and plenty of the pieces which he plays are not nearly as crazy as this one. Below I have linked a recording of Hamelin performing his own work in 2013 which clocks in at 10 minutes. Feel free to let me know which variation is your favorite - while 11 holds a special place in my heart, I have to admit that 10 is my favorite of the bunch.