Trouw revivews Leif Ove Andsnes and Marc-André Hamelin’s duo recital in Rotterdam
“In arithmetic it is clear that one plus one equals two, but in the case of the interaction between Andsnes and Hamelin the sum is much greater … Especially in Debussy’s “En blanc et noir’- certainly in the imaginatively played second part – they showed how special it can be to hear this music played together by two such top pianists. But the biggest enjoyment came in the second half of the concert with the unparalleled performance of Stravinsky’s own arrangement for two pianos of “The Rite of Spring”. No less exciting than the original orchestral version, but with the sound of two pianos much brighter … Both virtuosos have much in common through their strong objective, analaytical and highly skillful playing, but they also differ on many other points. Hamelin is the musical “iron” specialised in interpreting the most complex piano works, which almost no one dares to put on his desk. Andsnes is the Classicist who is extremely pure and crystal clear in both the core classical and romantic repertoire. He has a very recognizable, articulated way of playing … and provided an implacable rhythmic stability … It was these character differences which created an extraordinary palette of colour in this unprecedented performance of “Sacre” on two pianos, without disturbing the unity.”
Source: Trouw