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the Recordings
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Three recordings have been made of Thomas Hecht's work, most notably
"Piano Masterworks from America & New Zealand" which includes a previously unrecorded work by one of New Zealand's foundational composers, Douglas Lilburn, alongside core repertoire from from American composers, Barber and Copland. To download tracks, listen online or purchase physical recordings, please use the links provided. |
Piano Masterworks
from America and New Zealand Barber - Lilburn - Copland Label: Atoll Catalog # ACD 205 Composers: Samuel Barber, Douglas Lilburn, Aaron Copland Performer: Thomas Hecht (Piano) Works on this Recording 1. Sonata for Piano Op. 26 - Samuel Barber 2. Chaconne for Piano - Douglas Lilburn 3. Piano Sonata (1939-41) - Aaron Copland |
This CD shows Hecht at his powerful and poetic best in three great mid-20th century works for solo piano. The two cornerstone American piano sonatas sandwich a milestone of the New Zealand repertoire: Douglas Lilburn’s mighty "Chaconne" of 1946, available here on CD for the first time. Marbeck's NZ
CD Reviews
“Hecht obviously believes in this music, and plays it with loving care and commitment. He is more of a poet than a showman, a quality he brings to the Copland and especially Barber Sonata as well. In the latter he reveals a tempered, lyrical approach far removed from the aggressive pyrotechnics of Horowitz but equally engaging in its own right. The recorded sound is exceptionally full, clear and clean without sounding metallic or clinical. |
“The American pianist penetrates the Barber Sonata to its emotional core, with the Finale’s fugue bolting across the keyboard like a muscled Paul Cadmus athelete. Hecht’s magesterial performance inspires.” “Hecht’s very polished reading [of the Copland Sonata] brings out its extremes in contrast—discordant harmonies, jazzy riffs and deep contemplation in the finale. This is as fine as the legendary 1951 William Kappell performance at the Frick Collection, but served with far better sound.” |
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Members of the New York Philharmonic
with Hecht & Shapiro, duo pianists 
Robert Schumann:
Complete Works For Winds And Piano Label: Elysium Catalog #: 709 Composer: Robert Schumann Performers: Thomas Hecht (Piano), Joseph Robinson (Oboe) Stanley Drucker (Clarinet) Dorian Rence (Viola) Alan Stepansky (Cello) Gerald Appleman (Cello) William Kuyper (French Horn) Thomas Hecht (Piano) Sandra Shapiro (Piano) Works on This Recording 1. Andante and Variations for 2 Pianos, 2 Cellos and Horn in B flat major, Op. 46 Notes: This is the original version of Schumann's opus 46, more popularly known in its two piano rendition. 2. Adagio and Allegro for Horn and Piano in A flat major, Op. 70 3. Phantasiestücke (3) for Clarinet and Piano, Op. 73 4. Romances (3) for Oboe and Piano, Op. 94 5. Märchenerzählungen for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op. 132 |
Hecht & Shapiro
"Sentimiento"
Label: Azica Catalog #: 71201 Code: DDD Composers: Manuel Infante, Sergei Rachmaninov, Franz Liszt Performers: Thomas Hecht & Sandra Shapiro Steinway Piano Works on This Recording 1. Andalusian Dances by Manuel Infante 2. Duets: Six Pieces for Piano four Hands, Op. 11 by Sergei Rachmaninov 3. Reminiscences of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" S 656 by Franz Liszt Hecht and Shapiro made big news ..... when they won the Munich International Duo-Piano Competition... [They] maintain remarkable rapport, answering one another with heightened communicative skills and often sounding like one massive instrument capable of dazzling feats of dexterity... The performance is gloriously etched, with virtuosity and taste merging into a pianistic earful. Hecht & Shapiro take chances, travel to the edge and come up victorious. |