Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Richter, Gould, LATIMER!!!, 1 Sep 2003
This astonishing recording has suffered some pretty dismal criticism along the lines of "unlistenable piano sound", which even Latimer feels the need to comment on in his entertaining notes. Forget all that, the sound is perfectly good if you aren't an anal hi-fi buff, to my ears it's preferable to the unfocussed "bloom" on many digital piano CD's. What matters here is a.) Alkan's phenomenal composition, and b.) a live performance of mind boggling brilliance. I've not heard anything so visceral, raw and exciting since Earl Wild's wonderful Vanguard recording of Liszt's transcription from Meyerbeer's opera entitled Reminiscences de Robert le Diable - Valse Infernale. By about 9 minutes into the piece it feels like you're in the clutches of a thrashing, monstrous beast, which isn't going to let go for a long time (49 minutes), but although Latimer takes it to the very edge in terms of dynamics, volume, mood and so on, he's always in control. Hamelin is great, but this knocks his recording for six in terms of raw excitement. Why is this British pianist not better known? Maybe the name is too, well, British. Not only is he a truly mephistophelean classical piano master, he's a jazzbo to boot! CD of the year, no contest. Marko Latimerovich, we salute you!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This will never be equalled - let alone surpassed, 5 Feb 2005
I have only had the inestimable privilege of hearing this belief-defying work performed twice in a major London concert hall in the late 70's and early 80's - the first occasion by the late, august Ronald Smith - the first complete performance, and the second occasion, coincidentally in the same hall, by Mark Latimer - only the SECOND complete performance. This unique live recording is unsurpassed by anyone (don't fall for the ludicrous, pretentious and unsubstantiable hyperbole appended to the others) and is destined to remain so. It is also a profound joy for an old man such as myself to have a documentary memento of a genuinely unrepeatable experience. I consider myself fortunate beyond words to have, sadly now in the redoubtable Mr Smith's case had, a nodding personal acquaintance with both of these truly charming, astounding, old school and irreplaceable artists. It is more than lamentable that, as one of your previous reviewers has noted, this extraordinary CD has not only had a critically vile and wholly wrong appraisal - yet more evidence, if it were needed, that a great number of 'professional listeners' listen less with their EARS than an anagram thereof, but also has now secumbed to 'unavailable' status - tragic, as it/his like will not be heard again. If you have any vestige of interest in an art of pianism that is virtually dead, then acquire this unparallelled record by whatever means you have to.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome in both concept and execution, 25 April 2002
By A Customer
In a short but highly significant concert tour of the Uk and the end of 1999, Mark Latimer offered a programme of unique originality. The second part consisted of a a number of jazz pieces many of which he evolved himself (composed is too weak a word). In the first half, however, he performed the Concerto for solo piano op.39 by Alkan. Few pianists have dared and of those, few have been entirely successful. Mark truimphed. The Manchester concert was particularly fine and this performance has thankfully now been preserved on this cd. It's a masterful performance; not only because of Mark's technical brilliance but much more significantly because of his imaginative and musically active approach. He sees music not as a series of notes to be played as correctly as possible but as a sublime and transcendent experience in the soul of both musician and listener. The broad sweep and musical integrity of this performance is eloquent testimony to his musical philosophy. This is the true strength of this recording - it's uncompromising honesty. Listen to it, again and again, and drink deeply of the well of true musicianship.
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