Grainger: Piano Music

Hamelin has been scouring the neglected piano repertoire,for quite some time, Alkan,Sorabji,Catoire,Medtner,Busoni,late Listz,Roslavets, Villa-Lobos,and quite recently Frederic Rzewski's political/mural ,the Variations on the powerful Chilean folk tune.I wish other pianists had this vision. The Jutish melody here did have a reference to a political situation, the Jute Mill was the site of rebellion in 19th century agrarian British culture.

Whether Hamelin puts off the overtly emotional is a matter of taste and judgement. I tend to get excited about clarity first,and Grainger's music begs for clarity,for if you ever heard excessive rubatos,and durational liberties, the content of the wonderfully simple melodies, their charm and reverie would have escaped into mediocrity and sacrificed at the head-block of performative indulgence. I think Hamelin treads a fine line,between what should emote and what should remain within the refinement of pianistic timbral clarity.