Credits:

Martin Helmchen

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Helmchen, the Prince of the Piano of a New Era, Stuns with His Hammerklavier SonataAnother concert broadcast from the 2011 Verbier Festival featured the young German pianist Martin Helmchen. His charm lies in his elegant and delicate playing, a far cry from the typical image of German pianism. On screen, he possesses a beauty reminiscent of a shoujo manga protagonist, making it easy to understand why he has so many fans. Yet his repertoire consists entirely of challenging masterpieces from the German classical tradition. He conquered Beethovens massive Hammerklavier Sonataa piece far removed from that imagewith overwhelming intensity. While his playing is full of tenderness and his tone is soft, his excellent sense of rhythm stands out, reminding us that Bachs works are, in fact, dance pieces.King International