Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5; Piano Sonata No. 28 (Hélène Grimaud)

Information

Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

• Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 "Emperor"
• Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Op. 101

Hélène Grimaud, piano

Staatskapelle Dresden

Vladimir Jurowski, conductor

Date: 2007

Label: Deutsche Grammophon

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Review

This is without question the best recording that Hélène Grimaud has made for DG. The opening “Emperor” gushes forth like a sparkling fountain, at a freshly invigorating basic tempo. Give credit to Vladimir Jurowski for his excellent collaboration, and to a Staatskapelle Dresden that really stays on top of its collective toes. Grimaud even manages to make something special out of those upward scales that so often signal the pianist’s entrances and exits. Only in the slow movement does she indulge in a touch of the preciosity that mars some of her more recent efforts, but it’s a fleeting memory at best, and the finale goes with all of the joyful enthusiasm that anyone could ask.

If anything, the sonata is even finer. I have to confess I was a bit worried here: late Beethoven encourages so many pianists to do strange things in the name of “profundity” and “transcendence” and other impressive terms, and to put it kindly, Grimaud can be a bit spacey in this respect. To her credit, she simply plays really well, stylishly but with plenty of poetry too. The inner movements are particularly memorable: an alla Marcia full of rhythmic point and a truly cantabile adagio whose “affetto” never degenerates into mannerism. Grimaud potentially is one of the finest pianists in the business, and let’s hope this release signals for her a new level of maturity and artistic depth. The sonics, by the way, are also very good, with Grimaud’s piano particularly well-caught, and not too much performance noise. Impressive!

— David Hurwitz

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Ludwig van Beethoven (baptized 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential of all composers. Beethoven is acknowledged as a giant of classical music, and his influence on subsequent generations was profound. His best-known compositions include 9 symphonies, 5 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto, 32 piano sonatas and 16 string quartets. Many of his most admired works come from the last decade of his life, when he was almost completely deaf.

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Hélène Grimaud (born 7 November 1969) is a French classical pianist. She studied with Jacques Rouvier at the Conservatoire de Paris, as well as with György Sándor and Leon Fleisher. She tours extensively as a soloist and recitalist. A committed chamber musician, she has also performed at the most prestigious festivals and cultural events with a wide range of musical collaborators. Grimaud has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist since 2002. Her recordings have been critically acclaimed and awarded numerous accolades, such as Diapason d'or, Grand Prix du disque and the Echo Klassik Award.

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