The Irish Times: What makes Marc-André Hamelin so special? Different class

The Irish Times
Michael Dervan

There are any number of ways you could attempt to explain what makes Canada’s leading living pianist Marc-André Hamelin special. 

He’ll turn 57 in September and he’s been recording since he was in his 20s. So you could point to his extensive discography, which runs to over a hundred CDs. His recordings for the Hyperion label alone run to over 900 pieces. 

But to look at the extent would be to miss the point. Other pianists have copious discographies. Alfred Brendel’s complete Philips recordings were issued as a set in 2015 and ran to 114 CDs, and the recordings he made earlier in his career add a further 35.

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