Kenneth Hamilton - Romantic Piano Encores (CD)

Release Date: 06/04/21

Kenneth Hamilton performs a stunning selection of Romantic Piano Encores.

Hamilton's recordings for the Prima Facie label: Kenneth Hamilton Plays Ronald Stevenson Volumes 1 and 2; Back to Bach: Tributes and Transcriptions by Liszt, Rachmaninov and Busoni; Preludes to Chopin; and More Preludes to Chopin have enjoyed outstanding reviews: 'played with understanding and brilliance' (Andrew McGregor, BBC Radio 3 Record Review); 'an unmissable disk... fascinating music presented with power, passion and precision' (Colin Clarke, Fanfare); 'precise control and brilliance' (Andrew Clements, The Guardian); 'thrilling' (Jeremy Nicholas, Gramophone); 'a gorgeous recording and excellent performance' (Jack Sullivan, American Record Guide).

More Preludes to Chopin was chosen as one of Spotify's 'Best Classical New Releases'. Hamilton's Chopin has attracted especial attention for the originality of its performance style. For Dr Chang Tou Liang of the Singapore Straits Timesit encourages 'a new way of listening to Chopin'. Stefan Pieper (Klassik Heute) commented: 'Hamilton's approach to Chopin ignores the pianistic fashions of today's music market, challenges the dogmas of historical performance practice, and offers an entire palette of new and intriguing experiences.' James Manheim (AllMusic) wrote: 'The commercial success of this release shows how strongly audiences hunger for fresh interpretations of mainstream repertory, and a fresh interpretation is exactly what you get.' Ralph Locke (ArtsFuse) concluded 'This is real music-making, not subservient reciting from a sacred text. Hamilton's Chopin could change your whole attitude toward the role of the performer in classical music.'

Forthcoming releases include Volumes 1 and 2 of Kenneth Hamilton Plays Liszt, and the next instalments of Hamilton's Stevenson and Chopin series