WEBVTT 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:25.300 That was the opening of Stuck on Stella by the 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:28.620 composer Salvatore Martirano and it was performed 00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:32.399 by Mark Andre Hamlin. I'm Erica Worth and welcome 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.280 to this Pianist Podcast. Today I am speaking 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:38.219 with Mark about his life in music with a particular 00:00:38.219 --> 00:00:41.320 emphasis on his new album for Hyperion Records 00:00:41.320 --> 00:00:48.100 which features the track you've just heard. Mark, 00:00:48.140 --> 00:00:50.179 it's lovely to have you on the Pianist Podcast 00:00:50.179 --> 00:00:53.240 today. Thank you so much. It's great to be here. 00:00:53.719 --> 00:00:56.060 Oh, it's so great to have you here. I've known 00:00:56.060 --> 00:00:59.619 you for many, many years. But right now, I think 00:00:59.619 --> 00:01:02.140 the focus of this discussion was going to be 00:01:02.140 --> 00:01:05.140 about your new album. And with such an intriguing 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:09.760 title, if ever there was one, Found Objects, 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:13.980 Sound Objects. If you could maybe tell the listeners 00:01:13.980 --> 00:01:17.680 how you came up with such a title. Well, it wasn't 00:01:17.680 --> 00:01:22.989 the first idea, actually. idea and the one that 00:01:22.989 --> 00:01:28.129 I it was a working title really was I'm almost 00:01:28.129 --> 00:01:31.370 embarrassed to say it mixtape so Mark Hamlin's 00:01:31.370 --> 00:01:38.129 mixtape but I was it didn't take too much time 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:42.730 for people to convince me that it was a phrase 00:01:42.730 --> 00:01:45.650 sort of a moniker that was really maybe a little 00:01:45.650 --> 00:01:50.269 bit overused and it didn't really completely 00:01:51.759 --> 00:01:54.000 describe, you know, what I was after or what 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:58.400 the album contents was about. So I tried various 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:02.560 things. But I finally settled on this title simply 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:06.299 because, well, the sort of quasi -alliteration, 00:02:06.299 --> 00:02:10.360 it was probably attractive, but also, well, I 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.219 hope a little catchy as well. But I mean, every 00:02:13.219 --> 00:02:17.639 single piece, except for mine, of course, which 00:02:17.639 --> 00:02:21.300 finishes the album. was kind of a happy discovery. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:23.879 The things that I found along the way, which 00:02:23.879 --> 00:02:27.039 I really, really latched onto for one reason 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:31.360 or another. And also the sound objects part really 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:36.159 refers to the fact that every single piece on 00:02:36.159 --> 00:02:40.560 the album uses the piano in very, very, very 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:42.439 different ways and with very different purposes. 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:53.319 So it's... partly i guess a showcase of the pianistic 00:02:53.319 --> 00:02:56.379 possibilities and and sound possibilities you 00:02:56.379 --> 00:02:59.340 know that you can derive from piano oh absolutely 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:03.719 i mean there's such a mixed bag of sound objects 00:03:03.719 --> 00:03:07.759 on here and of course um john cage's perilous 00:03:07.759 --> 00:03:10.699 night which is the most extreme yes yeah yeah 00:03:10.699 --> 00:03:12.900 yeah yeah tell us a little bit about that i mean 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:15.900 that's for prepared piano isn't it Yes, yes. 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:19.500 And for listeners who are not familiar with the 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:22.680 prepared piano as an instrument, I mean, it is 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:29.539 a regular concert grand, whose sound has been 00:03:29.539 --> 00:03:34.240 altered by inserting various objects in the strings, 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:41.340 such as rubber, wood, metal, felt, and other 00:03:41.340 --> 00:03:47.110 things as well. invention of the prepared piano 00:03:47.110 --> 00:03:49.949 really is can be traced back to John Cage with 00:03:49.949 --> 00:03:53.789 some help from the American composer Henry Cowell 00:03:53.789 --> 00:03:59.250 and Cage had he had been commissioned to write 00:03:59.250 --> 00:04:04.030 a music for a choreography involving a single 00:04:04.030 --> 00:04:08.310 dancer and up to then he had been mostly writing 00:04:08.310 --> 00:04:12.759 music for percussion ensemble But the theater 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:14.900 in which this dance was going to be performed 00:04:14.900 --> 00:04:18.819 only had room really for a dancer and a piano. 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:23.680 So it was a very small space. So being the natural 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.379 inventor that he was, he thought of a way perhaps 00:04:28.379 --> 00:04:31.000 to alter the piano sound to make it sound more 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:33.100 like a percussion ensemble. And that's exactly 00:04:33.100 --> 00:04:39.160 what he did. So he ended up with... something 00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:41.600 really sounding like a percussion ensemble in 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:46.660 the control of the single player. So the invention 00:04:46.660 --> 00:04:50.180 of the prepared piano had a purely practical 00:04:50.180 --> 00:04:54.060 aim, actually, practical origin. Yeah, I mean, 00:04:54.079 --> 00:04:57.699 it is quite, I can't say it would be for everybody's 00:04:57.699 --> 00:05:04.680 taste. I mean, ooh, convert me, tell me, tell 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:08.569 me. what you see in it, why we should all listen 00:05:08.569 --> 00:05:12.810 to prepared piano. Well, in this particular case, 00:05:13.110 --> 00:05:17.649 the genesis of the piece, I mean, the piece was 00:05:17.649 --> 00:05:21.589 written really at a time of great personal distress 00:05:21.589 --> 00:05:26.250 in Cage's life because his marriage was unraveling. 00:05:26.389 --> 00:05:31.620 Yeah. and uh the music really reflects that it's 00:05:31.620 --> 00:05:34.060 in six sections it's one piece but it's in six 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:36.980 sections so there's six different uh tracks on 00:05:36.980 --> 00:05:41.899 the album um and it really trails off at the 00:05:41.899 --> 00:05:45.139 end without any hope of resolution so it should 00:05:45.139 --> 00:05:50.519 not be listened to as a nameless emotionless 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:52.959 percussion piece i mean there is really a lot 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:59.399 of um dramatic juice in it i guess if you want 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:02.620 to yes i mean what's interesting in your album 00:06:02.620 --> 00:06:06.319 on the album is just before that you've had a 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:09.600 very different type of piece in john oswald's 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:13.519 tip which is light -hearted i mean that's that 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:18.319 is amazing as you say it's a medley of dozens 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:23.660 of well -known pieces yep Yeah, there are apparently 00:06:23.660 --> 00:06:26.519 something like 40 excerpts, many of which are 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:29.860 repeated, actually. They occur, again, like Fiorilisa 00:06:29.860 --> 00:06:34.060 and the Moonlight Sonata and whatnot. But, well, 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:38.079 John's way with music really is very interesting 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:44.100 because he has this natural slant of mind that 00:06:44.100 --> 00:06:48.439 whenever he hears something, he thinks of a way 00:06:48.439 --> 00:06:52.040 to transform it. So a lot of his production has 00:06:52.040 --> 00:06:57.480 had to do with a transformation of existing material. 00:06:57.920 --> 00:07:00.660 But the thing is, the way that he transforms 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:05.100 it, his imagination being what it is, always 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:10.199 ends up being truly multidimensional. And it 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:15.540 adds a lot of flavor. I hate to use the word 00:07:15.540 --> 00:07:17.399 dimension again, but that's exactly what it is. 00:07:17.939 --> 00:07:20.839 One of the things that he did, one of the tracks 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:25.379 for which he's famous, is that he took the first 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:29.819 portion of Also Sprach Zartustra of Richard Strauss, 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:33.220 which was used in 2001 Space Odyssey, and everybody 00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:37.800 knows it. And went out and got all the recordings 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:39.860 that he could find on CD. And he ended up with 00:07:39.860 --> 00:07:44.600 24. And he takes that famous excerpt and plays 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:48.939 them all together. He aligns the first trumpet 00:07:48.939 --> 00:07:54.579 note. And then just lets... everybody go their 00:07:54.579 --> 00:07:57.040 own way. Of course, they're a different tempi 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:59.740 and also slightly different intonation from one 00:07:59.740 --> 00:08:03.379 recording to another. And it ends up sounding 00:08:03.379 --> 00:08:07.000 like Ligeti. Oh my goodness. And it's the whole 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:10.060 piece? No, no, no. Just the introduction, the 00:08:10.060 --> 00:08:12.980 famous part. Okay. Oh my God, I've got to listen 00:08:12.980 --> 00:08:16.060 to that. That's amazing. I'm sure it's on YouTube 00:08:16.060 --> 00:08:19.500 somewhere. It's easily found. How interesting. 00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:22.899 Well, his tip is really interesting. And as you 00:08:22.899 --> 00:08:27.000 say, it's that word medley of over 40 pieces. 00:08:27.100 --> 00:08:31.300 Obviously, they flow in and out in a very coherent 00:08:31.300 --> 00:08:34.700 manner. Well, they're not only collage, but also 00:08:34.700 --> 00:08:38.039 very often superimposed. I mean, at one point 00:08:38.039 --> 00:08:42.559 you get the very beginning of the Goldberg Variations 00:08:42.559 --> 00:08:47.269 with the girl from Ipanema. In another instance, 00:08:47.450 --> 00:08:51.570 also the opening of the Goldbergs with the opening 00:08:51.570 --> 00:08:53.990 of the Rite of Spring. But the most hilarious 00:08:53.990 --> 00:08:57.769 part to me is when he combines the first movement 00:08:57.769 --> 00:09:01.269 of Beethoven's 111 with the Linus and Lucy music 00:09:01.269 --> 00:09:04.129 from the Peanuts cartoons. Oh my goodness. You 00:09:04.129 --> 00:09:13.029 know the part. It's so well done. I would chuckle 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:16.009 while playing it, were it not so difficult. I 00:09:16.009 --> 00:09:17.789 mean, that's the one really, really tricky part 00:09:17.789 --> 00:09:21.509 of the whole piece. In fact, when he first wrote 00:09:21.509 --> 00:09:23.990 it, it was actually unplayable because there 00:09:23.990 --> 00:09:27.450 were too many strands. So I had to simplify it 00:09:27.450 --> 00:09:30.909 a little bit with his approval, of course. OK, 00:09:31.570 --> 00:09:34.029 OK. Wow. Yes, it does sound very hard, as does 00:09:34.029 --> 00:09:37.190 a lot of the repertoire on this album. And I'd 00:09:37.190 --> 00:09:40.049 like to now talk about your own composition. 00:09:40.850 --> 00:09:43.769 And I hope I'm I hope I'm pronouncing it correctly. 00:09:44.049 --> 00:09:47.389 Hexen Sabbat. Hexen Sabbat, which just means 00:09:47.389 --> 00:09:55.370 which is Sabbath in German. It's it has its origin 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:59.850 in the sketch. from many, many years ago, I think 00:09:59.850 --> 00:10:02.509 around the mid 80s, I think, you know, and I 00:10:02.509 --> 00:10:08.690 was still at university. And I was very active, 00:10:08.850 --> 00:10:11.269 you know, in trying to find my own voice, you 00:10:11.269 --> 00:10:15.429 know, such as it is. And this was one of the 00:10:15.429 --> 00:10:17.450 sketches, I mean, I have a regular habit of going 00:10:17.450 --> 00:10:20.129 back to older things and see if I can make something 00:10:20.129 --> 00:10:24.799 out of them, because I i wrote down so many fragments 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:27.659 in the in my past that never amounted to anything 00:10:27.659 --> 00:10:31.580 that uh sometimes i get my uh ideas from that 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:34.360 and i mean at the time i really didn't have the 00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:38.940 the metal or the experience really to finish 00:10:38.940 --> 00:10:44.659 projects and develop them adequately. So with 00:10:44.659 --> 00:10:47.539 the passage of time now, you know, I'm much more 00:10:47.539 --> 00:10:50.279 well equipped to make something out of these 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:53.700 things. So that's what happened here. And in 00:10:53.700 --> 00:10:59.899 the back of my mind, I always had the very last 00:10:59.899 --> 00:11:04.440 part of the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique with 00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:10.659 the Rome du Sabbat, the Sabbath dance. And I 00:11:10.659 --> 00:11:15.440 also had the idea to use also what Berlioz used, 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:21.019 which is a good use of the Dies Irae. But in 00:11:21.019 --> 00:11:24.620 my case, the Dies Irae is used towards the end 00:11:24.620 --> 00:11:29.820 of the piece in the superimposition, and there's 00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:31.500 three of them at the same time at different speeds. 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.000 And that's really the trickiest part of the whole 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:37.399 piece. And I spent a lot of time working on it. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:42.100 I think it's an amazing piece. And the climax, 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.100 I mean, it just builds, you know, to a great 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:50.279 climax. Well, I loved the end, especially in 00:11:50.279 --> 00:11:52.740 the recording session, because the piano allowed 00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:58.159 me to build up sound in a way that I probably 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:01.389 never experienced before. What do you mean by 00:12:01.389 --> 00:12:04.690 that? Well, just the accumulation of volume, 00:12:04.830 --> 00:12:08.289 you know, and intensity. Yes. Without actually 00:12:08.289 --> 00:12:15.870 becoming violent. I reached the top, you know, 00:12:15.889 --> 00:12:18.769 and I found that I could still build it up for 00:12:18.769 --> 00:12:22.330 a few bars. Amazing. And that's because of the, 00:12:22.389 --> 00:12:24.769 that's the instrument itself, the style. Yeah. 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:29.539 No, it's amazing and it keeps going. It's a very 00:12:29.539 --> 00:12:32.320 dramatic piece. I think it's fantastic. Really, 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:35.879 really. Maybe I should publish it. Maybe, you've 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.600 published quite a few. I mean, you've composed 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.559 throughout your career. I mean, a lot of concert 00:12:43.559 --> 00:12:46.620 pianists don't. Did you feel that this was part 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:49.879 of you being a musician? You just knew you had 00:12:49.879 --> 00:12:53.299 to compose as well as be a pianist? I've always 00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:57.120 had the urge. I mean, this is insignificant, 00:12:57.399 --> 00:12:59.759 really, but from the very beginning, when I started 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:04.240 piano lessons at age five, my dad, who was a 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.460 very good amateur pianist, had scores lying around, 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:09.399 Chopin, Liszt, especially those Liszt things. 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:15.480 I mean, I grew up with the Peters edition. edited 00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:20.139 by Emile Fonsara. It was very impressive visually 00:13:20.139 --> 00:13:23.100 for a little boy, you know, so he had some music 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:24.940 paper lying around and I wanted to do the same 00:13:24.940 --> 00:13:28.200 thing, of course, you know, but scribbling a 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:30.340 whole lot of nonsense for many, many, many, many, 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:33.700 many years. But the impulse was always there. 00:13:33.820 --> 00:13:37.480 And at the beginning, I admit that I was running 00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:41.480 mostly for myself to play, you know, but in... 00:13:42.480 --> 00:13:45.519 In recent years, I've become much, much more 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:50.139 interested in writing for others. For example, 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:52.840 Hexen Sabbat, this piece, I haven't played it 00:13:52.840 --> 00:13:55.799 in public yet, but it was written to be premiered 00:13:55.799 --> 00:13:59.440 by somebody else. There's a young Israeli country 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:02.600 named Yorav Lebanon. Do you know him? Yes, absolutely. 00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:05.059 I've heard him. Yes, absolutely. A great virtuoso. 00:14:05.860 --> 00:14:12.360 So this piece was, he premiered it as part of 00:14:12.360 --> 00:14:15.120 a concert, which was actually broadcast by Medici. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:19.120 So you could probably still see it. Okay. Yeah. 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.240 And he really was a hit with the audience with 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:25.600 the piece. He really gave it his all. Wow. So 00:14:25.600 --> 00:14:28.059 you haven't performed it. Wait until now for 00:14:28.059 --> 00:14:31.240 the recording. Recording, yes. But I haven't 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:33.720 played in public. And do you think you will? 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:38.820 Maybe. But as I said, I get more fulfillment 00:14:38.820 --> 00:14:45.820 by seeing what others can do with what I've done. 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:49.360 That's so amazing. One of the things that I find 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:52.179 so fascinating about you and your musical life 00:14:52.179 --> 00:14:55.299 is you like to collaborate with others. You play 00:14:55.299 --> 00:14:59.250 with quartets. you know, it's a big part of your 00:14:59.250 --> 00:15:01.389 musical life. And I believe now you're also, 00:15:01.490 --> 00:15:04.950 you formed a duo with Charles Richard Amelin, 00:15:05.169 --> 00:15:09.789 same surname. How did that come about? Well, 00:15:09.789 --> 00:15:15.490 we met actually something like maybe 10 years 00:15:15.490 --> 00:15:17.669 ago for the first time we were introduced and 00:15:17.669 --> 00:15:24.620 we really hit it off. From a purely PR standpoint, 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.779 people are intrigued by the fact that we have 00:15:27.779 --> 00:15:32.799 the same last name. He really would be an Hamelin, 00:15:32.899 --> 00:15:36.460 except that he also hyphenated it with his mother's 00:15:36.460 --> 00:15:39.519 last name. But his father's name is Hamelin. 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:44.720 I think that promoters were very attracted to 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:46.899 the idea, so we were sort of pitted together. 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:51.049 But we had actually... been following each other's 00:15:51.049 --> 00:15:54.309 careers for quite some time and um so there's 00:15:54.309 --> 00:15:56.669 a mutual admiration society sort of going on 00:15:56.669 --> 00:16:00.149 there i guess i'm sorry it's sort of it sounds 00:16:00.149 --> 00:16:02.409 self -aggrandizing i mean i don't mean it to 00:16:02.409 --> 00:16:06.490 be but um so we tried it out and uh we we found 00:16:06.490 --> 00:16:12.470 that we really click uh there's um a good uh 00:16:12.470 --> 00:16:16.389 mix of or a good agreement between us of musical 00:16:16.389 --> 00:16:20.429 vision you know okay So it really worked from 00:16:20.429 --> 00:16:23.889 the start, I think. And we have a program that's, 00:16:23.889 --> 00:16:26.970 I think, quite interesting, and it mixes the 00:16:26.970 --> 00:16:28.690 unfamiliar with the familiar. It starts with 00:16:28.690 --> 00:16:31.470 the Mozart Sonata. This is a two -piano program, 00:16:31.690 --> 00:16:35.490 not a duet. So Mozart Sonata, Chopin Rondo, interval. 00:16:36.250 --> 00:16:40.470 Then we each play a solo piece. In his case, 00:16:40.509 --> 00:16:47.409 it's the Chopin A Minor Waltz, 34 No. 2, I think 00:16:47.409 --> 00:16:51.879 it is. And I play a CPE Bach Rondo. Then we play 00:16:51.879 --> 00:16:57.539 Mettner's two pieces for two pianos, Russian 00:16:57.539 --> 00:17:00.600 Round Dance and Night Errant. And then we finish 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:03.200 with the Granger of Fantasy on Porgy and Bess. 00:17:04.059 --> 00:17:06.480 That's amazing. I don't know the Mettner. I don't 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:09.799 know the Mettner. Yeah, well, the Russian Round 00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:12.700 Dance, he actually recorded himself with Moisevich. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:16.460 And Night Errant is actually a full -fledged... 00:17:17.390 --> 00:17:19.529 Sonata Allegro, you know, so it's quite a substantial 00:17:19.529 --> 00:17:22.910 piece. Both of them I think very, very attractive. 00:17:23.369 --> 00:17:27.210 How wonderful. I look forward to hopefully going 00:17:27.210 --> 00:17:33.269 to one of these concerts with Charles. We have 00:17:33.269 --> 00:17:36.589 played in a variety of locales, even in Japan 00:17:36.589 --> 00:17:41.130 actually, but these upcoming concerts are confined 00:17:41.130 --> 00:17:47.420 to various venues in Canada. But we haven't said 00:17:47.420 --> 00:17:51.420 our last words. Okay. Okay. I mean, one thing 00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:54.579 I'm amazed is how you just rip through the repertoire. 00:17:54.740 --> 00:17:58.420 I mean, you learn so much. I mean, I have to 00:17:58.420 --> 00:18:05.440 ask, you must be a very quick learner. I have 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:10.460 been, though, with age, it's not quite as easy 00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:13.660 as it once has been, which is perhaps a good 00:18:13.660 --> 00:18:19.119 thing because I think I'm now maybe a little 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:21.339 less, I don't want to use the word superficial, 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:24.660 you know, because I always, I've always taken 00:18:24.660 --> 00:18:30.319 everything I do very seriously. But it's just 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.789 a little slower. And I have to admit, I... have 00:18:34.789 --> 00:18:38.069 gotten to be quite a bit more comfortable if 00:18:38.069 --> 00:18:42.670 I have my iPad in front of me. I noticed, yeah. 00:18:43.009 --> 00:18:47.549 And if you know to use the iPad well, of course 00:18:47.549 --> 00:18:50.630 you have to know the music as well as you can, 00:18:50.769 --> 00:18:54.150 but just the fact that the iPad is there for 00:18:54.150 --> 00:19:00.430 reference is comforting. Yes. It takes a lot 00:19:00.430 --> 00:19:03.990 of the worry away. Well, I think, yeah, I mean, 00:19:04.009 --> 00:19:07.190 I've seen a lot of top pianists walk onto the 00:19:07.190 --> 00:19:10.190 stage with their iPad. Absolutely. Yeah. And 00:19:10.190 --> 00:19:13.710 the beauty of it, perhaps its most wonderful 00:19:13.710 --> 00:19:17.390 aspect is that it's very discreet and you don't 00:19:17.390 --> 00:19:19.609 need an additional person on stage to sort of 00:19:19.609 --> 00:19:22.430 ruin the theatrical aspect of your performance. 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:27.250 It's just you. It's one on one with you and the 00:19:27.250 --> 00:19:29.940 audience, between you and the audience. That's 00:19:29.940 --> 00:19:32.519 true. I've never tried it, and I just still can't 00:19:32.519 --> 00:19:36.440 imagine how you get the foot ready to turn the 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:39.220 page when that foot is meant to be pedaling as 00:19:39.220 --> 00:19:41.980 well. Especially when you're using the soft pedal, 00:19:42.039 --> 00:19:49.180 yes. But, you know, it's about illusion, I guess. 00:19:49.660 --> 00:19:52.720 Yes. No, you're right. I've seen a video of you 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:58.640 performing Hex and Sabbat with the iPad. And 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:01.059 I have to say, I think another thing I so admire 00:20:01.059 --> 00:20:04.720 about you is the way your posture. You're so 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:08.579 sovereign and on top of it, there's no, you know, 00:20:08.619 --> 00:20:12.480 tossing, moving around, the head flying. Are 00:20:12.480 --> 00:20:14.460 you very conscious of that or is that just the 00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:19.559 way you've been trained? You just seem very composed 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:22.059 at the piano. I think I was probably partly influenced 00:20:22.059 --> 00:20:26.480 by my dad who abhorred. all kinds of physical 00:20:26.480 --> 00:20:30.480 display at the keyboard. I mean, my personal 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:32.460 feeling is that I must be a little boring to 00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:36.460 watch, you know, because I don't... Sometimes 00:20:36.460 --> 00:20:39.359 even I think that I don't look involved. But 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:42.579 to me, when all's said and done, that's secondary. 00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:48.339 Because I really believe very strongly that you 00:20:48.339 --> 00:20:52.059 should go to concerts just to experience the 00:20:52.059 --> 00:20:55.349 music. acoustically in the room you know as it's 00:20:55.349 --> 00:20:58.930 being created and uh of course it's easy as an 00:20:58.930 --> 00:21:00.970 audience member to be influenced by the visual 00:21:00.970 --> 00:21:03.630 aspect i mean if the pianist is looking towards 00:21:03.630 --> 00:21:06.809 the skies i don't know it's it it can sort of 00:21:06.809 --> 00:21:12.049 uh sort of pull us away from the fact that i 00:21:12.049 --> 00:21:15.710 mean it's it's easy to to look at the skies and 00:21:15.710 --> 00:21:21.059 not really be expressing much musically It's 00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:22.819 very interesting. I think we get into bad habits 00:21:22.819 --> 00:21:25.019 as well, don't we? I think it can be a hindrance 00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:29.579 to move around too much. I mean, I don't mean 00:21:29.579 --> 00:21:34.480 to speak against my colleagues, but all I can 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:37.460 tell you is what works for me, really. I mean, 00:21:37.539 --> 00:21:40.680 it's the only way I can really concentrate. And 00:21:40.680 --> 00:21:45.339 I'm not interested in creating a visual persona. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:50.799 It wouldn't be me. No. So did your father, I 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:52.720 mean, he was obviously a big influence on you. 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:56.279 I believe when you were very young, he introduced 00:21:56.279 --> 00:22:00.839 you to repertoire, Alcan, Godowski. Yes, but 00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:02.680 I think he was discovering it at the same time 00:22:02.680 --> 00:22:07.440 as I was. How lovely. He didn't really know it 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:11.019 beforehand. I mean, he was certainly intrigued, 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:14.740 but he also had his reservations about this repertoire. 00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:17.480 I mean, I'm not sure he liked Alcan all that 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.619 much. Yeah. On the other hand, he absolutely 00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:28.700 revered Godofsky. I mean, I actually have a document 00:22:28.700 --> 00:22:32.380 to prove the fact that I was introduced to the 00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:36.440 Godofsky Chopin studies as a score, not playing 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:39.339 them or anything, when I was seven years old. 00:22:40.139 --> 00:22:42.579 Because that's when he received the scores by 00:22:42.579 --> 00:22:45.319 mail. They had just been reprinted and he had 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:47.839 been wanting to see them for years because he'd 00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:51.779 read about them and was really, really intrigued. 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.920 And finally, they were all there and reprinted 00:22:54.920 --> 00:22:58.579 for everyone to see. So I remember we were looking 00:22:58.579 --> 00:23:01.720 at them together. I mean, I was already through 00:23:01.720 --> 00:23:07.299 him. familiar with the Chopin originals and also 00:23:07.299 --> 00:23:11.480 visually. So we just looked at these scores totally 00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:16.140 bug -eyed. My goodness. So did your father learn 00:23:16.140 --> 00:23:22.859 them as well? He tried, but I think he tried 00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:25.359 to play a couple. He practiced a couple of them, 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:29.500 certainly. I think they were really out of reach 00:23:29.500 --> 00:23:32.759 for him, even though he actually worked on some 00:23:32.759 --> 00:23:35.500 pretty difficult things. I mean, I have tapes 00:23:35.500 --> 00:23:38.279 of him playing at home with large excerpts from 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:41.059 things like the Frank symphonic variations, for 00:23:41.059 --> 00:23:44.180 example, or some list, you know, so he was up 00:23:44.180 --> 00:23:46.880 there. He had perfect pitch. So I think he had 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:50.720 a good learning facility as well. And I, over 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.880 the last year or so, I started to make a list 00:23:54.880 --> 00:23:58.140 of what I remember him. practicing or what I 00:23:58.140 --> 00:24:02.279 am aware that he knew and the list is pretty 00:24:02.279 --> 00:24:06.740 impressive really. But his taste really didn't 00:24:06.740 --> 00:24:10.480 go into the 20th century very much with exceptions 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:13.900 like the Prokofiev seventh sonata which he really 00:24:13.900 --> 00:24:17.960 enjoyed. It's a great piece but it's very accessible. 00:24:19.039 --> 00:24:22.160 But I really had a lot of trouble convincing 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:24.160 him of the worth of something like the Charles 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:27.299 Ives Concert Sonata, which he sort of, towards 00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:30.059 the end, reluctantly sort of started to accept. 00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:34.819 Yes, okay. Oh, it's so nice that he was obviously 00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:38.640 a big part of your life. Well, I don't know whether 00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:41.980 I would actually be doing this if it hadn't been 00:24:41.980 --> 00:24:45.319 for him. I probably would have discovered some 00:24:45.319 --> 00:24:49.599 kind of musical talent. The nice thing is that 00:24:49.599 --> 00:24:53.859 through him and through the records that he was 00:24:53.859 --> 00:24:56.980 always playing at home and through my mother's, 00:24:56.980 --> 00:25:01.319 even though she had no musical ability, I mean, 00:25:01.339 --> 00:25:03.680 she often just sang for herself and she was a 00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:06.779 great lover of operetta and things like that. 00:25:06.839 --> 00:25:11.559 She had a real musical, good musical taste. It 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:15.990 was a really, really good, very enviable. uh 00:25:15.990 --> 00:25:19.950 environment to grow up in and if i hadn't had 00:25:19.950 --> 00:25:23.849 that i would have discovered uh at my aptitudes 00:25:23.849 --> 00:25:28.930 probably much later if at all i get i understand 00:25:28.930 --> 00:25:31.970 that entirely i mean obviously that's amazing 00:25:31.970 --> 00:25:34.390 you obviously started learning those godowski 00:25:34.390 --> 00:25:37.549 chopin etudes when you were about eight no no 00:25:37.549 --> 00:25:43.009 no no oh god no no no no no no uh it it wasn't 00:25:43.009 --> 00:25:50.319 until god my late teens, maybe, when I even started 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:53.519 to think about maybe, you know, working on them, 00:25:53.619 --> 00:25:56.180 you know, because they scared me just as they 00:25:56.180 --> 00:25:59.619 scared anybody else, really. But now, I mean, 00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:02.119 there's at least four or five recordings of the 00:26:02.119 --> 00:26:06.680 complete set, you know, so we know that they 00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:09.960 can be done. They're amazing. I mean, Mark, how 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:12.059 many recordings for Hyperion now? Is it over 00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:19.170 90? Well, I think it's 92 total if I kept accurate 00:26:19.170 --> 00:26:21.950 track, although I think a couple of dozen of 00:26:21.950 --> 00:26:25.230 them are for other labels. But the rest are Hyperion. 00:26:25.789 --> 00:26:28.269 That's amazing. Such diverse repertoire from 00:26:28.269 --> 00:26:33.289 Beethoven's Hammerklavier to Bolcom's Rags. I 00:26:33.289 --> 00:26:36.890 mean, you always have ideas. You're like, I've 00:26:36.890 --> 00:26:40.150 got to do this. I've got to do that. Well, I 00:26:40.150 --> 00:26:42.529 think my discography speaks for that, really. 00:26:42.670 --> 00:26:47.210 It speaks to that. Yeah. Yeah. And you've got 00:26:47.210 --> 00:26:49.750 a great record label behind you who say, OK. 00:26:50.450 --> 00:26:53.250 I could not have hoped for better, really, because 00:26:53.250 --> 00:26:55.829 for so many years and still now, I mean, they 00:26:55.829 --> 00:27:01.670 give me free reign in exploring what I want to 00:27:01.670 --> 00:27:05.740 do. And the public's developed a trust in what 00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:10.319 I do and that I couldn't hope for more. So as 00:27:10.319 --> 00:27:15.119 long as it sells, you know. Oh, that's fantastic. 00:27:15.319 --> 00:27:17.720 That's fantastic. I mean, I've heard you say 00:27:17.720 --> 00:27:20.660 so much, so wonderful, interesting things here. 00:27:20.740 --> 00:27:22.640 And so what I'd like to do now is maybe shift 00:27:22.640 --> 00:27:25.220 to some little lighthearted questions for you 00:27:25.220 --> 00:27:28.619 that I'd love you to answer off the cuff as they 00:27:28.619 --> 00:27:33.809 come. Yeah. All right, so the first question. 00:27:34.289 --> 00:27:37.329 If you could play only one composer from now 00:27:37.329 --> 00:27:44.490 on, who would it be? Oh, God. Please consider 00:27:44.490 --> 00:27:51.990 the infinite breadth of piano literature. How 00:27:51.990 --> 00:27:55.039 can you whittle it down to just one person? I 00:27:55.039 --> 00:27:58.119 mean, I could tell you about many composers that 00:27:58.119 --> 00:28:00.759 I love. I mean, Schubert, for example, was a 00:28:00.759 --> 00:28:04.099 relatively late discovery for me. And I don't 00:28:04.099 --> 00:28:08.579 know why I waited for so long or why I just didn't 00:28:08.579 --> 00:28:11.319 do, you know, I didn't explore him before I did. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:14.119 But of course, he's an indispensable. But so 00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:18.400 is Chopin, so is Beethoven, so is Mozart. No, 00:28:18.519 --> 00:28:21.619 I know. I've been named so many people. Yeah. 00:28:22.140 --> 00:28:24.319 it is a crazy question although some people do 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:31.359 answer and say and it's usually bah well he ain't 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:36.220 too bad either that's very funny okay next question 00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:40.559 oh where are we where are we yeah one pianist 00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:43.200 dead or alive you travel long and far to hear 00:28:43.200 --> 00:28:53.789 based on the descriptions of his playing which 00:28:53.789 --> 00:28:58.130 almost sound too good to be true, I would say 00:28:58.130 --> 00:29:04.490 Liszt. Yeah. You know, forget the flamboyant 00:29:04.490 --> 00:29:08.210 aspect of his writing and of his pianism. Apparently 00:29:08.210 --> 00:29:18.589 he could play. I mean, he had a great reputation 00:29:18.589 --> 00:29:27.789 for being the utmost. And the emotional impact 00:29:27.789 --> 00:29:31.470 that he had on his listeners, I would really 00:29:31.470 --> 00:29:34.630 have loved to experience it myself. And it's 00:29:34.630 --> 00:29:39.630 really a crying shame that he did not live a 00:29:39.630 --> 00:29:42.750 few more years to be able to enter the recording 00:29:42.750 --> 00:29:50.769 era. Absolutely. Oh dear. Okay. Okay. One person, 00:29:50.849 --> 00:29:57.009 dead or alive, you would like to play for? Doesn't 00:29:57.009 --> 00:30:01.769 have to be a musician. List! Probably for the 00:30:01.769 --> 00:30:07.809 same reason. Okay. A question here. I'm sure 00:30:07.809 --> 00:30:10.349 you'll, I don't know, funny question. Do you 00:30:10.349 --> 00:30:14.049 have any technical struggles at the piano? Always. 00:30:15.390 --> 00:30:29.950 Always. I'm trying to phrase this right. Sometimes, 00:30:30.130 --> 00:30:39.109 very often actually, getting something to sound 00:30:39.109 --> 00:30:44.609 like what you think the composer intended entails 00:30:44.609 --> 00:30:54.500 a great deal of, in my case, refingering. getting 00:30:54.500 --> 00:30:58.539 the right kind of the emotional tone. I know 00:30:58.539 --> 00:31:03.799 what you're asking me. And of course, I always 00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:09.480 have to work on more mechanical things like anybody 00:31:09.480 --> 00:31:12.640 else at the piano. I don't like to use the word 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.220 technique because technique really encompasses 00:31:15.220 --> 00:31:18.240 more than just the mechanical. And actually, 00:31:18.299 --> 00:31:21.319 I once read an article by Horowitz, actually, 00:31:21.319 --> 00:31:23.779 in which he said that the word technique should 00:31:23.779 --> 00:31:26.380 not be used. Really, it should be mechanics because 00:31:26.380 --> 00:31:30.279 the technique really encompasses all elements. 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:36.240 of the musician's art and whether it be purely 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:41.799 mechanical or artistic. Very interesting indeed. 00:31:42.140 --> 00:31:46.420 Very interesting. What would be your advice to 00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:51.660 an amateur pianist about how to improve? Well... 00:31:53.420 --> 00:31:56.099 It depends on how far they really want to go, 00:31:56.180 --> 00:31:58.640 you know, but I've always thought, and this might 00:31:58.640 --> 00:32:01.500 sound like an oblique answer, but I think it 00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:06.019 really, really is important. Acquire as good 00:32:06.019 --> 00:32:12.180 a knowledge of theory as you can. Theory, harmony, 00:32:12.319 --> 00:32:15.819 counterpoint, analysis, ear training, because 00:32:15.819 --> 00:32:20.960 they're all building blocks. And I can tell that, 00:32:20.980 --> 00:32:24.579 I can say that in my case, They definitely had 00:32:24.579 --> 00:32:31.039 a humongous influence on my playing. And the 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:37.960 benefits can be subconscious. You might not be 00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:42.720 conscious of the effect of these things, but 00:32:42.720 --> 00:32:45.299 I think it's very important to have a good mind 00:32:45.299 --> 00:32:49.619 for music and not just let your fingers fly about. 00:32:50.660 --> 00:32:54.859 Yeah. Definitely. I mean, structure, that surely 00:32:54.859 --> 00:32:58.000 helps the structure of a sonata or a piece. Because 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:02.380 it really helps you know what you're doing, bottom 00:33:02.380 --> 00:33:08.319 line. Absolutely. I like that. Finally, one composer 00:33:08.319 --> 00:33:14.880 you're not quite ready to tackle. Well, I've 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:22.329 done pretty much... everything that i wish i 00:33:22.329 --> 00:33:25.309 mean if i if i want something badly enough i 00:33:25.309 --> 00:33:29.789 just get to the grindstone you know but uh whether 00:33:29.789 --> 00:33:32.950 i've succeeded really musically is another matter 00:33:32.950 --> 00:33:39.289 but that's for others to judge um there are there 00:33:39.289 --> 00:33:43.509 are certain works perhaps that uh i'm i'm intimidated 00:33:43.509 --> 00:33:49.640 by one of them actually and i i'm uh i'm really 00:33:49.640 --> 00:33:53.299 being very candid here is the Chopin Preludes. 00:33:54.279 --> 00:33:58.180 Okay. For some reason that I can't quite define, 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:07.000 they scare me. Yeah. I really don't know whether 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:14.099 I would be worthy of them. Yeah. Wow. You're 00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:18.480 going to have to. Yeah. Interestingly, I'm writing 00:34:18.480 --> 00:34:21.539 my own set of 24 Preludes at the moment. I mean, 00:34:21.559 --> 00:34:23.559 it's a long range project. I mean, it's a commission 00:34:23.559 --> 00:34:32.800 for 2027. And I am trying to distance myself 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:36.139 from Chopin as much as possible or any other 00:34:36.139 --> 00:34:39.980 composer, really. So we'll see what happens with 00:34:39.980 --> 00:34:44.099 that. But the Chopin, I'm not sure I would be 00:34:44.099 --> 00:34:47.139 ready to tackle them at this point. Other Chopins, 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:52.400 yes, much more readily. I mean, I've had a very 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:54.679 interesting relationship with the Polonaise Fantaisie, 00:34:54.800 --> 00:34:59.400 for example, in recent years, which I... And 00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:01.679 with the Barcarolle and the Fourth Ballade, I 00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:06.239 mean, to me, that's the top Chopin. Yes. He really 00:35:06.239 --> 00:35:08.820 realised his art, you know, to the highest degree. 00:35:10.019 --> 00:35:13.000 I mean, that Polonaise... That's a personal thing. 00:35:13.309 --> 00:35:15.909 Yeah, I mean, yeah, that Polonaise fantasy, if 00:35:15.909 --> 00:35:20.090 you could get that across convincingly, it's 00:35:20.090 --> 00:35:23.309 a very complex piece, isn't it? Yeah, and that 00:35:23.309 --> 00:35:26.530 is a case where a knowledge of the science of 00:35:26.530 --> 00:35:30.130 music and not just, you know, blindly following 00:35:30.130 --> 00:35:33.610 the score is imperative because the structure, 00:35:33.849 --> 00:35:39.210 the sequence of events is very elusive. And holding 00:35:39.210 --> 00:35:42.809 it together, I think, is a very severe test of 00:35:42.809 --> 00:35:47.570 the musician's art. Absolutely. Absolutely. That's 00:35:47.570 --> 00:35:50.969 a wonderful piece. Oh, Mark, well, I think we've... 00:35:51.179 --> 00:35:53.780 Come to the end. And with the shot, Polonaise 00:35:53.780 --> 00:35:59.039 fantasy, it's a beautiful way to end it. As it 00:35:59.039 --> 00:36:04.320 dies away magically. So our conversation will 00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:07.360 too. Oh, but it's been wonderful having you on 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:09.599 this podcast. What are you up to at the moment? 00:36:09.699 --> 00:36:12.860 I believe you're in a hotel room, obviously waiting 00:36:12.860 --> 00:36:16.760 to give a concert somewhere. Yes, I'm in Vancouver, 00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:20.039 Washington. Not Vancouver, Canada, but Vancouver, 00:36:20.119 --> 00:36:22.619 Washington. Just across the river, actually. 00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:25.599 I can see Portland, Oregon, actually, on the 00:36:25.599 --> 00:36:29.659 other side. The hotel is next to a bridge. And 00:36:29.659 --> 00:36:33.219 we're going to do two Rhapsody in Blues this 00:36:33.219 --> 00:36:38.360 weekend. And then I go home for just five days, 00:36:38.599 --> 00:36:40.719 unfortunately. And then it's back on the road 00:36:40.719 --> 00:36:43.460 in Europe. And my first stop is actually recording 00:36:43.460 --> 00:36:48.420 for Hyperion. And this is going to be a very 00:36:48.420 --> 00:36:50.260 interesting project, a little bit off the beaten 00:36:50.260 --> 00:36:55.380 track. Surprise, surprise. And it's going to 00:36:55.380 --> 00:36:59.079 feature, the CD is going to feature a composer, 00:36:59.460 --> 00:37:01.960 a Brazilian composer who's actually a very major 00:37:01.960 --> 00:37:04.539 figure over there, but who is practically unknown 00:37:04.539 --> 00:37:08.340 anywhere else, except maybe to guitarists. And 00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:13.500 his name is Radames Gnatali. spelled G -N -A 00:37:13.500 --> 00:37:21.219 -T -T -A -L -I. He has worked both in the sort 00:37:21.219 --> 00:37:25.559 of classical and popular domains. He's written 00:37:25.559 --> 00:37:29.940 a lot of concert music, solo concerti and chamber 00:37:29.940 --> 00:37:33.739 music, but also has done a lot of popular music, 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:38.179 written also and arranged. And he was a very 00:37:38.179 --> 00:37:42.309 well -known session pianist. And you can find 00:37:42.309 --> 00:37:45.590 his music is very well represented on YouTube, 00:37:45.869 --> 00:37:56.030 both live and recordings. But the piano music, 00:37:56.110 --> 00:38:01.110 aside from a few exceptions, has not really been 00:38:01.110 --> 00:38:07.699 available or even published. trying to revive 00:38:07.699 --> 00:38:12.019 interest in his production. And the nice thing 00:38:12.019 --> 00:38:13.900 is that the music is all available through the 00:38:13.900 --> 00:38:17.860 Nathalie website. And it's going to be very attractive 00:38:17.860 --> 00:38:21.719 because the CD is going to be slanted much more 00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:23.820 towards his popular production rather than the 00:38:23.820 --> 00:38:28.539 concert production. So I'm not saying it's going 00:38:28.539 --> 00:38:32.980 to be another Kapustin necessarily, but I... 00:38:33.369 --> 00:38:36.570 I think the door should be open towards some 00:38:36.570 --> 00:38:38.510 of his production because it's really attractive. 00:38:38.989 --> 00:38:41.849 Oh, that sounds fascinating. It's going to be, 00:38:41.849 --> 00:38:45.190 I think, a very nice listen. I look forward to 00:38:45.190 --> 00:38:47.730 discovering something new then, yeah. There's 00:38:47.730 --> 00:38:51.849 actually a few pieces that ended up on one of 00:38:51.849 --> 00:38:56.769 the Danacourt CDs from the Husum Festival. I 00:38:56.769 --> 00:39:00.449 played these pieces way back when, but I... I 00:39:00.449 --> 00:39:02.090 really didn't know what I was doing back then 00:39:02.090 --> 00:39:07.590 because I didn't really get any sense of the 00:39:07.590 --> 00:39:10.429 true Brazilian musical idiom, you know, and everything 00:39:10.429 --> 00:39:13.289 was too fast and it sounded more like Art Tatum 00:39:13.289 --> 00:39:16.369 than anything, you know, so I would scrap that 00:39:16.369 --> 00:39:18.949 if I could, you know, but it's on CD so I can't 00:39:18.949 --> 00:39:24.809 change it. Okay, okay. Since then I've heard 00:39:24.809 --> 00:39:27.730 a lot more Brazilian music and I'm much more 00:39:27.730 --> 00:39:31.309 aware of how it should be. Oh, that's wonderful. 00:39:31.409 --> 00:39:33.829 Well, Mark, I think we've come to the end of 00:39:33.829 --> 00:39:37.789 the conversation. All right. It's been a pleasure. 00:39:38.489 --> 00:39:41.429 Yeah. And I'll let you get some rest now before 00:39:41.429 --> 00:39:45.789 your performances of Rhapsody in Blue. Thank 00:39:45.789 --> 00:39:49.750 you. That's going to be, it's always very relaxing, 00:39:49.929 --> 00:39:53.699 this piece, I find. Yeah. I'm sure. Oh, well, 00:39:53.719 --> 00:39:56.000 I wish you all the best for your performances. 00:39:56.059 --> 00:39:59.019 And thank you so much for joining us today. Thank 00:39:59.019 --> 00:40:24.590 you, Erica. It's been wonderful. Thank you. That 00:40:24.590 --> 00:40:27.650 was the finale of Beethoven's Opus 2 No. 3 Sonata, 00:40:27.670 --> 00:40:30.250 and it was performed by Marc -André Hamelin. 00:40:31.130 --> 00:40:33.750 Pianist podcasts are free, and a really good 00:40:33.750 --> 00:40:36.409 way to support what we do is by subscribing to 00:40:36.409 --> 00:40:39.750 Pianist. 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