2 Hamelin posts in a day!

Marc Andre Hamelin playing Nikolai Medtner’s INCREDIBLE Sonata in F minor ‘Sonata Minacciosa’, Op 53 No 2.

“The Thirteenth Sonata, the “Minacciosa” in F minor, Op. 53, No. 2, is another one-movement work. It lives up to the “menacing” character of the title and is highly chromatic, with an impressive fugue. Medtner described it as “my most contemporary composition, for it reflects the threatening atmosphere of contemporary events”. It is intellectually demanding for both listener and pianist: according to Marc-André Hamelin “the most concentrated 15 minutes of music one could ever hope to play or listen to; its rewards go far beyond initial impressions”. It was dedicated to the Canadian pianist and pupil of Scriabin, Alfred La Liberté, one of Medtner’s most loyal supporters.”