About
‘Classical music doesn't get better than this’ — The New York Times. In all roles, from orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber musician to conductor, Benjamin Hochman regards music as vital and essential. Composers, fellow musicians, orchestras and audiences recognize his deep commitment to insightful programming and performances of quality. Highlights of 2024-2025 include Hochman conducting the Szeged Philharmonic in Hungary and the Orlando Philharmonic in Florida. He appears as piano soloist in Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Rheinische Staatsphilharmonie conducted…
Resonance
‘Benjamin Hochman stands out for both the acuity of his programming and (…) these scrupulously careful interpretations, which make the most of his subtle timbral palette and keen ear for texture. He artfully brings out the aesthetic overlaps among these works.’
– Gramophone
In his late piano sonatas, Beethoven created music of extraordinary originality, simultaneously looking far into the future and far into the past. Pianist Benjamin Hochman pays homage to this Janus-faced aspect with the inclusion of two works from the Renaissance alongside Shadowlines from 2001.
As Hochman writes: ‘Beethoven achieves a kind of timelessness, stretching to the limit what music can say. He looks far into the future by striving for ever richer sounds, conceiving powerfully original musical ideas, and building masterful musical structures. He looks far into the past by integrating traditional forms such as variations and fugue, reflecting earlier musical styles, even quoting fleeting musical motives from Bach. But most of all, he transcends any particular era by exploring emotions both primal and sublime.’
The first Renaissance piece is the motet Ave Christe, attributed to Josquin de Prez, the Franco-Flemish composer frequently compared to Beethoven by virtue of his wide-ranging impact. Hochman plays a piano transcription made in 1988 by American composer Charles Wuorinen.
Flow, my tears – the lamenting melody that best represents the signature melancholia of the English Renaissance figure John Dowland – originated as a solo lute song and was published under the title Lachrimae in 1596. Its popularity led to a plethora of arrangements around Europe, including the one Hochman has chosen by Dowland’s elder contemporary, William Byrd.
The album’s most recently composed music is Shadowlines, a set of six preludes written by Sir George Benjamin. It uses a variety of canonic techniques that unfold subliminally, echoes concealed by echoes. Benjamin follows Beethoven’s cue in repurposing old techniques – including a passacaglia in the longest of the set – as conveyors of new revelations.
‘This program is a journey from darkness to light, a study in contrasts that nevertheless finds resonance across the centuries, ultimately finding transcendence and even triumph’, Benjamin Hochman concludes.
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 17 & 24
Benjamin Hochman, pianist and conductor
English Chamber Orchestra
Mr. Hochman, whose career as a pianist has been thriving, took time off recently to study conducting. It was time well spent. The stylistic insight, elegance and sparkle of Mr. Hochman’s pianism are beautifully matched by the playing of the orchestra. Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times
Following the footsteps of Daniel Barenboim and Murray Perahia, he achieves great success with both pieces. This is a very stimulating and life-affirming record. MusicWeb International
A throwback to the golden age. BBC Music Magazine
2 / December / 2024
Resonance: Album Release Concert in Berlin
Piano Salon Christophori / Berlin
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Josquin de Prez, arr. Charles Wuorinen: Ave Christe
George Benjamin: Shadowlines, Six Canonic Preludes
John Dowland, arr. William Byrd: Pavane Lachrymae, P. 15/MB54
Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110
Benjamin Hochman, piano