Marc-Andre Hamelin; Ilan Volkov: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin - Reger & Strauss (R): Piano Concertos

The Reger 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-Andre 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 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 which surely captures the essence of this humorous music and will have the listener on the edge of his seat.