Product Details
Hélène Grimaud ~ Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 · Ravel - Piano Concerto in G major

Hélène Grimaud ~ Rachmaninov - Piano Concerto No. 2 · Ravel - Piano Concerto in G major
Sergei Rachmaninov, Maurice Ravel, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Helene Grimaud, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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Track Listing

  1. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: No. 1, Moderato
  2. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: No. 2, Adagio sostenuto
  3. Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18: No. 3, Allegro scherzando
  4. Piano Concerto in G major: I. Allegramente
  5. Piano Concerto in G major: II. Adagio assai
  6. Piano Concerto in G major: III. Presto

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #272751 in Music
  • Released on: 1994-04-26
  • Number of discs: 1

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
This may be an unusual coupling, but it works out well. Hélène Grimaud, a young pianist of great talent, offers a sensitive but no-nonsense approach to both works. Her Rachmaninoff is not as expansive as some, but she makes the melodies sing, rips through the difficulties with flair, and never sentimentalizes the music. A similar attitude works equally well with the circus show Ravel put into music (really--it even opens with the ringmaster cracking his whip!). The conductor and orchestra provide vigorous support, but it's still the pianist's show and she makes the most of it. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Fine Rachmaninov and Ravel Piano Concertos5
Helene Grimaud's performances of the Rachmaninov and Ravel Piano Concertos aren't as stirring as those recorded by Ashkenazy and Argerich, but are fine in their own right. She takes a sensible, no nonsense approach to both pieces, playing with much warmth, without the exuberance that both might require. Indeed, her performance of Ravel's piano concerto comes across as a more polished, though less dynamic, performance than Argerich's with Claudio Abbado and the London Symphony Orchestra as accompanists. Lopez-Cobos and the Royal Philharmonic are sympathetic accompanists to Grimaud's playing. And Denon does a very good job in recording the sound, which comes close to Deutsche Grammophon's usual excellence. While this isn't an essential recording of either piano concerto, it remains one worth acquiring just to hear the splendid playing of one of the finest pianists of her generation.

Ravel3
Excellent choice of selections. Grimaud is competent but not exceptional. The quality of sound and recording are poor. It is worth purchasing.