Customer Reviews

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5; Piano Sonata No.28 in A, Op.101

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Five MARVELOUS Stars!! Brilliant French piano virtuoso Hélène Grimaud has conjured up highly enjoyable and individualistic interpretations of two awe-inspiring Ludwig Van Beethoven compositions: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Opus 73 (which fans have given the name "Emperor", but not by Beethoven himself); and the Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, Opus 101: which Beethoven called "a series of impressions and reveries". Widely known for her thoughtful and personal interpretations of the classical master composers, Ms Grimaud has continued to widen her overall repertoire and, in this case, to deepen her personal Beethoven performance treasury. It is also said the extraordinary Ms Grimaud has a natural form of the condition called synesthesia: in her case she actually experiences music as colors and maybe that's the special quality we are hearing in her wonderful interpretations which have so much verve and flare. Ms Grimaud is wonderfully supported by the splendid Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski for Opus 73. Here, Ms Grimaud shows herself to be a very thoughtful yet powerful, philosophical, and deeply individualistic performer who gives the listener a new viewpoint of Beethoven's astounding creations.

Both performances of these masterworks are 'Pieces De Resistance', but of special note to me is Ms Grimaud's stupendous reading of "Emperor"s Allegro movement with soaring, empathetic support from the Staatskapelle Dresden. Then there is the poetic reading of the second and third movements: the Adagio un poco mosso and the elegant and joyous Rondo. I DO "hear thoughts, reflections, and ideas" delivered in what she calls a "contemporary" version of "Emperor". My favorite version of "Emperor" remains that of the legendary Guiomar Novaes and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under Jonel Perlea in the 1950s, but this is a most impressive and individualistic reading by Ms Grimaud. That's also certainly true of the four movement Opus 101 where Ms Grimaud unleashes new textures and dynamism in her version, especially in the impressive flow and exposition of movement IV (Geschwind). Decades into her brilliant career, Hélène Grimaud continues to deliver stunning, thoughtful interpretations of the classics, as exemplified by this excellent recording. Kudos to Vladimir Jurowsk and the Staatskapelle Dresden Orchestra. The recording is clear and crisp. My Highest Recommendation. Five IMPRESSIVE Stars!!!
(This review is based on an iTunes digital download.)

Helen Grimaud is a considerable talent and her interpretation of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 is passionate and powerful. She style is so very clear and crisp.

The first movement, the Allegro, is full of passion and emotion. The hints of triumphal marches, the force and drive of the work, can only be described as heroic and powerful. Yet this theme is countered with wit and poetry as the movement is reconciled.

The second movement, Adagio un poco mosso, is delicate and warm. The delicacy of the piano compliments the warmth of the horns and violins much like dew on leaves in morning light. The piece is sweet yet graceful and fluid for it never is too sweet. It ascends and then resolves the ascension with warm compassion.

The third movement, the Rondo, is massive. The piano seems to dance with the orchestra as your concentration shifts back and forth between orchestra and piano. The heroic seems to be tamed in this final movement and yet remains full of energy and fire. The third movement also seems to me to be most grounded in a sense of the 18th century with its evocations of waltz and military pomp. The piano is allowed to play the witty commentator upon the regal orchestra to great effect.

Whereas in the first and third movements the piano is a witty commentator upon the force of the orchestra until given reign and shows considerable emotion and passion. The middle passage contrasts beautifully with the first and third in that the piano becomes light,lyric, delicate against the tapestry like warmth of the orchestra.

A fine listening experience.

For those who bash Helene Grimaud about wolves and such, take this. Just fantastic. I have several well regarded Emperors: Serkin, Pollini, Kissin. This one is the equal of any of these. Poetic and powerful with great sound.

Same can be said of 101 - I like this one as much as I like Pollini and infinitely better than John O'Connor. It takes great control and depth of feeling to pull off late Beethoven and she does it. Sound is much better than Pollini.

I guess the thing I like most about these performances is that they aren't cookie cutter, there are slightly different turns of phrases that generally work very well. And these are really powerful performances in both the heat of the moment and when things slow down. She knows when to push and when to pull back. I get the feeling she is challenging herself somewhat on these very difficult pieces, and I admire that she fully rises to the challenge. I like to hear the stress and emotion coming through a performance.

Not particularly relevant but that is why Hamelin leaves me cold. He is a technical machine who churns out difficult pieces seemingly without the slightest effort. I like things a little more thought out and perhaps just a little rough around the edges, with plenty of passion. Like this performance.

Young French pianist Helene Grimaud's latest recording is among the best I have heard of the venerable Beethoven 5th "Emperor" Piano Concerto. It is also among the fastest, approximately a minute and a half shorter in length than several older digital recordings I possess of this work (The only relatively recent recording of the "Emperor" concerto I am aware of that's still faster is one with Stephen Kovacevich and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.). Regardless of its speed, Grimaud's interpretation is truly a spellbinding one, in which her playing most closely resembles that of her mentor, Martha Argerich, in its dramatic, fiery quality. For this reason alone, potential purchasers of this CD should think seriously of acquiring it, since it amply demonstrates both the technical and artistic brilliance of someone whom I've regarded for years as one of the most compelling pianists of our time. But is Grimaud's interpretation one that should be regarded as definitive? The short answer is "No", when you compare and contrast her recording with such great ones from the past two decades from the likes of the late Claudio Arrau, Murray Perahia and Andras Schiff, among others. Indeed, I would regard these as more likely candidates for being the "definitive" recordings of this venerable Beethoven warhorse, especially when all three have been noteworthy interpreters of Beethoven's piano scores, especially, in particular, the piano concerti (I might add too, that one of my favorite recordings of Grimaud's is an earlier Teldec (Warner Classics) release of her performing the Beethoven 4th piano concerto live in concert with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kurt Masur; that recording emphasizes more some of the introspective, lyrical side to her playing, which, regrettably, has been substituted herein for drama and speed.). A truly compelling studio performance of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major, op. 101, closes out this recording; if nothing else, it reaffirms Grimaud's emergence as a Beethoven interpreter of note, whose intense, dramatic style of playing is most reminiscent of Argerich's.

Barely keeping pace with Grimaud is the venerable Staatskapelle Dresden, under the baton of young conductor Vladimir Jurowski, whose most prominent North American role now is as one of the three principal conductors in charge of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra itself is in fine form, with ample rich, warm sound, especially from the winds and strings. However, their playing isn't nearly as inspired as in previous recordings of this concerto with Claudio Arrau and conductor Sir Colin Davis (Philips) and Andras Schiff and Bernard Haitink (Teldec); potential listeners might be well advised to seek out either of these earlier digital recordings, if they wish to hear it perform this work under the batons of two of the greatest conductors of our time. Of course, the sound quality is superb, up to the usual high standards of excellence that long-time fans of Deutsche Grammophon have come to expect. In conclusion, those interested in acquiring one of the best recent recordings of the Beethoven 5th Piano Concerto should be quite satisfied with Grimaud's latest; more discerning audiophiles may find more compelling, older digital recordings from Arrau, Perahia, and Schiff, as well as more recent ones from Brendel, and especially, Aimard (Aimard's recent Warner Classics recording may be the most desirable artistically, since it's part of a Beethoven piano concerto cycle which he recorded in live concert performances with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the baton of Nikolaus Harnoncourt.).

Helene Grimaud: This smart young pianist is destined to become another Martha Argerich! I have several recordings of Beethoven's 'Fifth' but this one is leaving me highly emotional. There are so many features that I would like to comment on, but then the earlier reviewers have said it all.
My request to Helene: Can you also cut records of Beethoven's 3rd and 4th piano concertos, please?

The Emperor has always been my favorite concerto, and I've always opted for the most "definitive" version, with a few additions as they come along.

I now own six versions on CD, and somewhere in boxes are a few more versions on vinyl and tape.

There's a comfort to "definitive" coming from a well respected reviewer, like Penguin or Gramophone.

I found this CD purely by accident and had no intention of buying it, until I listened to the few seconds I could sample on Amazon. But what I heard was enough.

And having the CD has taught me something: something that is "definitive" might be etched in perfection, but it isn't alive any more.

THIS PERFORMANCE IS ALIVE. There is no machine at the piano, but a living artist who is taking a composition and making it her own. I don't just hear Beethoven; I hear Grimaud. I felt like I was hearing this masterpiece for the first time, and it nearly brought me to tears.

The difference between this and perfection is the difference between an adorable freckle faced breathing woman and a marble statue of Venus.

And having found this CD, I don't think I'll ever demand "definitive" again. This is a revelation of how music was meant to be played.

This new recording of the "Emperor" Concerto arrived not long after I had completed my comparisons of two recordings of that venerable composition for The $ensible Sound's Issue No. 114. For more than a month, though, I simply could not bring myself to listen to another version. I was Emperored out!

Having put the CD atop a pile of CDs that I needed to review, I often caught the intense eyes of Ms. Grimaud staring up at me, imploring me to give her recording an audition. When I finally yielded to her gentle pleading, I was glad I did. This is an excellent performance, one that I prefer to either of the performances I compared in Issue 114. It has both power and grace, with excellent playing from both the soloist and the orchestra. Ms. Grimaud, Maestro Jurowski, and the members of the Staatskapelle Dresden combine to do Beethoven proud. Bravo!

In addition to her exuberant rendition of the Concerto, Ms. Grimaud also provides a fine recording of Sonata No. 28, a wonderfully lyrical work for solo piano that is always a delight to hear. This is music that sings and soars, never failing to capture the imagination. These two pieces together provide a rewarding program that will reward the listener.

I do have some slight reservations about the sound, however. At times, the orchestra sounds a bit threadbare, which I am not sure is the engineering or the musicians, although I suspect the former, as the overall sound spectrum seems a bit tilted up. Not harsh, just lacking in the warmth that would make it a top-flight sonic achievement. There was also occasional thumping sound to heard during the Concerto; perhaps a system without a subwoofer would not have revealed this sonic anomaly (and I must admit that I had my subwoofer volume set too high at the time I listened to this CD). Still, the performances are simply wonderful, and I recommend this disc highly to all fans of this music, of which I suspect there are many among our readership.

Helene Grimaud brings a new life to the Emperor. From the first chords, you feel as if she is climbing upward - the upward struggle we understand to have been so much of Beethoven's life and art. I have 4 other recordings of this piece and none approach Beethoven with such an understanding of music, and the man. Superb!

Despite negative criticism, I bought this recording after hearing it broadcast. I am not disappointed and will hear more from this young lady. The "Emperor" is about as exciting as it can be!

When I heard her performance in a Beethoven documentary, I immediately went and purchased the CD. Something about her interpretation of Beethoven sonatas is incredible. I'm a teenager with a varied taste in music, but this is some of the best classical music I've ever heard.