Track Listing

1. Ballade No. 1 In G Major, Op. 23
2. Apre une Lecture de Dante
3. Sonata for piano in F Sharp Minor, Op. 11: I. Introduzione:Un Poco Adagio-Alleg ro vivace
4. Sonata For Piano In F Sharp Minor, Op. 11: Aria
5. Sonata For Piano In F Sharp Minor, Op. 11: Allegrissimo
6. Sonata For Piano In F Sharp Minor, Op. 11: Allegro un poco maestoso

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #136996 in Music
• Published on: 1974
• Released on: 1993-08-30
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Uninteresting
Her interpretations are flat, the dynamics are predictable, and the themes not well-wrought. My mind wanders after the first minute of the First Ballade.

Good technique though.

Fine picture of prodigality
Helene Grimaud is one of a number of very fine French pianists to emerge recently, and she has been quite productive so far in her short career. Her recent CDs have been critized for a lack of depth, but she has a certain powerful quality to her which can be quite engaging, and this is already evident in this, her debut recording. This disc was recorded at the age of 17, shortly after she won the First Prize at the conservatory of Aix-en-Provence. In spite of her youth, this is already playing of a high level, displaying an unusual level of understanding and maturity for one so young. It is not perfect, though.

The Chopin Ballade starts the CD off well with a fine display of power and agility. Her scales lack a little bit of polish, but the more complex passages which contain chords come off fine. The playing certainly has a good deal of impact, and the sound is pleasingly full and rich. The only issue I have is the pacing. Perhaps her initial tempo is too fast, because the sensation of gathering steam that makes this piece so effective is missing. Driven by her artistic instincts, Grimaud compensates for this lack of contrast by increasing the volume, which makes a few intense passages border on the harsh and sacrifices the suspense of the slower "heartbeat" sections.

The Liszt "Dante" Sonata may seem like a mere virtuoso showpiece to some, but it is actually an emotionally complex work inspired by one of the definitive authors of the Renaissance period, Dante (author of The Inferno). It can be very hard to grasp, and I don't blame Grimaud for not making the most of the contrasts - very few people can. Unfortunately, the harshness which was quite slight and unintrusive in the Chopin is multiplied a hundredfold here. Liszt calls for a few differnt levels of forte and fortissimo, but Grimaud only has one. Each individual section has its cohesiveness in and of itself, particularly the slow sections which are played with a disarming simplicity, but the overall narrative is lost.

The Schumann F-sharp minor sonata is one of the greatest, and strangest, sonatas in the standard repertoire. The first movement is the best, a portentious introduction followed by a sonata-allegro movement in fandango rhythm which has an infectious and engaging style to it. The second is a luscious Arioso, marked 'espressivo ma senza passione,' which has a 'cello solo among the 'vocal' portions. The third is a light-hearted, enjoyable scherzo with two very strange trios. Finally, the long finale uses mainly chordal writing and ends with a puzzling anticlimax. Grimaud has the Schumannian spirit of adventure, and she understands how all the pieces fit together. However, these qualities are undermined somewhat by a sense of rhythm which is sometimes slack, sometimes too mechanical, and never "dancey" enough. And just as in the Liszt (and each recording since), Grimaud tends to play too harshly.

I had the same problem of a harsh, hollow sound, so I have an insight into what may be happening here. I was always able to play loud and fast, and I was tackling Liszt Rhapsodies and Chopin Polonaises within just a few years of taking up the piano. I never came close to straining myself even as I played to the hilt. But on the flip side, my sound was harsh to the point of being absolutely unbearable to trained ears. The problem stemmed from the way I used my arm. If I wanted to play loudly, I would lock my hand, wrist, and shoulder and force downward from my elbow. It's a very strong joint, and nearly indestructible in terms of moving up and down, so it does the job well. But since the rest of the arm is locked, movement is restricted, and it is easily distinguishable in the sound. It took a lot of effort, both on my part and my instructor's, to ease me up. It took 2 years of struggling, in fact, to correct my playing after 14 years of bad habits. Now it takes a lot more effort and concentration to play passionately, but the sound is golden and rounded. If an equally talented instructor had taken Grimaud, as enormously talented as she obviously was at the age of 17, she would rank among the greats, no question.

Superb
First of all, Grimaud was only 16(!) when she recorded this, not 18 as was stated elsewhere. Taking that into account, makes the playing heard on this disc all the more imrpessive. The denon sound is flawless, and you can hear every note played cleanly and without any fear: very stunning technique. My favorite is the Chopain balalde on this disc, played extraordinarly well by Grimaud: passionate and fiery. I;m not realy a fan of the schumann, so I can't say much for that. the lizt is really diabolical, and isn't my fabvorite music to listen to, but Grimaud's performance of it seems to be a force to reckon with. Remember: she was only 16 when she recorded this, but she plays like a master on this disc.