Customer Reviews

Hélène Grimaud plays Chopin & Rachmaninov

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

 

 

I'm no critic here, I won't even attempt it. But I love Chopin, and Helene Grimaud's playing is masterful. I have read the knowledgeable reviews from other's who rate this poorly. It's surprising that their ears are so narrow and their minds so tight, full of their own genius.

This is wonderfully played. A must have. The Berceuse I have played for hours and it's magical intepretation stirs me each time. The Sonata No. 2, is simply amazing. I'm not even a Rachmanioff fan, but her playing makes me want to learn his music. Buy this and expand your ears, mind, and emotions. As for the critics, sorry you didn't enjoy this. I think you missed something called listening to creative artistry and enjoying Chopin.

Helene Grimaud plays the structure of the piece. In this she is very unusual. In our music lessons, we learned about phrases--how that arc over some notes means to begin anew, to rise in strength, then fall back again. And maybe even how larger phrases contain smaller ones. And we remember how difficult it was to play the phrases, especially when they contained other ones. Grimaud's phrasing is incomparable. At every moment there are several phrases going: the immediate one, and all the levels above it. She tells us not only what is now, but what is ending and what is to come. Her playing has the extremely rare quality of anticipation, so that even in pieces new to us, we feel them developing, and in familiar pieces we revel in the hints and beginnings of the next idea. Sometimes the phrases are borne by different voices, and it can seem that more than one person is playing, so clear is Grimaud's articulation. She has said that she practices mainly by studying the score. This must be the secret of her music's almost incredible three-dimensionality.

In the great Chopin sonata on this record, Helene Grimaud combines her structural understanding with emotional strength and universality to achieve an interpretation that to me is substantially new and compelling. As she says in the notes, the sonata is about death, and its first movement, which she says is the heart of the work, "reflects the revolt and supplications of a tragic struggle against hopeless destiny". This seems to me exactly how she plays it. The whole movement--the phrase of the whole--is played with a driving, passionate intensity, never letting up, never denying, but still containing and letting breathe the beautiful "supplication" and noble "revolt" sub-phrases that contrast with death's relentlessly returning tocsin. The overall structure is constantly present and reinforced. Grimaud never indulges in idiosyncrasy or feeling for its own sake; she seems intent on letting the composer's idea and purpose come through, and does so using her enormous understanding and expressive power, aided, I must say, by the fabulous sound of her piano.

The rest of the sonata is equally rewarding. I would just mention how in the "Funeral March" movement, the tempo and dynamics of the march sections are almost utterly steady--surprisingly, one taps one's foot--removing all personal sentiment, as though we are seeing an historical black-and-white film. The sense of distance is complemented by the sweet, ethereal passages that interweave the march; Grimaud plays them limpidly and wonderfully slowly.

The other sonata on this disc, Rachmaninov's 2nd, is new to me and I am still "learning it" from the pianist. But her playing displays the same structural insight, anticipation, and voicing that I have mentioned, underlying her characteristically beautiful expression both in the strong passages and the gentle ones. I have all of her CDs, and a very special quality, evident here, is Grimaud's ability to be interesting wherever she is in a piece. There are no dead spots or contentless transitions: every passage always has something going on that holds interest, even fascination. In a sense she is a miniaturist in her immediate playing--I think that is the result of her deep grasp of what the piece, at every point, is saying.

The Berceuse in D flat and Barcarolle in F sharp, familiar to every listener, complete this program of Helene Grimaud's. They are beautifully rendered--the Berceuse with exceptional tenderness, the Barcarolle in all its unique originality. I give this recording five stars as a marvelous example of the work of a still relatively unknown pianist of exceptional quality whose approach and understanding and expressive power will, I believe, soon bring her recognition as one of the greatest pianists.

The concept of this album is an interesting one on the surface. Chopin's Second Sonata, which contains the world's most famous funeral march, is put alongside Rachmaninoff's Second Sonata. Each is in the same key, and they run to about the same length. The rather short CD is filled out with two popular late works by Chopin, the Berceuse and the Barcarolle. This is familiar territory for any pianist, but the arrangement is interesting.

However, this does not mean that the effort is completely successful. To put it as politely as possible, Grimaud is not a delicate, "pretty" kind of pianist. Anyone looking for that would be better served by Vasary, for example. Grimaud's sound is large; she uses dynamics which would work very well in a concert hall. She is more faithful to the score than many, and she plays accurately and powerfully. On the flip side, she can occasionally sound harsh, but the sound is never ugly, as it has been in the past. Compared with the three recent recordings of the Chopin sonata I've heard (Pompa-Baldi at the Cliburn, Moravec, and this one), this is the most exciting and most accurate, but it seems less organic and flowing than many other readings. The Rachmaninoff is a straighter imitation of a poor performance (the 1980 Horowitz recording, taken at the nadir of his career), and it has too much volume and too little impact. The Chopin Berceuse is serious and rather strange, as Grimaud suddenly and inexplicably gets very loud and passionate at a time where the opposite is expected. I wouldn't want to be the baby trying to fall asleep to this. The Barcarolle, too, is too intense. Grimaud is anxious in the languorous, elevated atmosphere of this music, and the result is too Germanic rather than Italianate.

Although my tone may seem negative based on the above paragraph, I enjoyed this CD and I can recommend it. There are better recordings available of all of this music, though. For the Chopin Sonata, there is very little to match Moravec's recent disc, and for the Barcarolle, Sofronitzky's freely improvisatory manner carries the day. It is harder to make a recommendation of the Rachmaninoff sonata, because there are more poor performances of that much-abused piece than I can count. I certainly haven't found a CD that makes me love the piece.

The discovery of this young exceptional piano talent was an experience that made my day. On this CD Helen Grimaud chose a theme of death and transcendence wonderfully presented through the music of the "two Princes of piano"; Chopin and Rachmaninov.

Piano is an instrument where development of technique does not necessarily create a gifted pianist. Helen Grimaud plays the piano with the discipline of a student, the mastery of a professional, the nuance of a feeling soul and the sensuous passion of a woman.
Ms. Grimaud's thoughts, as captured in the written explanations, on this music and other composers, demonstrate an exceptional intelligence and serious introspection about the music she plays.

The Chopin Sonata #2 has been played by countless pianists great and small but this recording must be placed among the great ones. Taking each movement in turn, in the first the duality of drama and lyricism is recognized fully by Grimaud and she churns up a storm of contrast in the development section. It can be stated that her playing is filled with emotion without ever becoming wayward or sentimental.

The second movement is an mini-epic poem in her hands. The Marche- funebre wonderfully phrased and sung, again with full awareness of pathos and lyricism.

The Finale: presto is played with flawless technique as though technique were not even a pre-requisite! I think it was Liszt who pictured the wind blowing through the graveyard as a way to imagine this movement..whatever one imagines Grimaud blows up quite a dust storm here.

Linking the Rachmaninov 2nd Sonata to Chopin's 2nd, both being in B flat minor, and coincidentally having opus numbers one digit apart! seems almost a superficial pairing. But I will accept the idea that there is more to it than that as Grimaud explains:"Rachmaninov was haunted in exile-something must have died in him when he left Russia, never to return". Death and transcendance...well seems good to me!

At any rate the "Rach 2" as realized here is again juxtaposition of powerful melodic themes with the dramatic and she again seems to separate and blend them at will and with purpose. This is broadly sweeping music played without mannerisms or superficiality. The 'trancendence' at the end is not gained without tears!

The lovely Berceuse, Op 57 is one of the lone musical gems Chopin left for us..a set of variations on a theme above a lilting ostinato. Here, though she plays with a lovely tone and precice fingers, I find her interpretation lacking in magic and a bit too 'metrical'.

The final offering on the program is the wonderful Barcarolle one of Chopin's late great works following his 3rd Sonata. Grimaud's playing here is satisfying and accomplished but I did not feel it to be on the level of, say Rubinstein or Lipati, but that is a very minor criticism!

The piano is well recorded clear but resonant, refined but warm. A wonderful recording in every respect!

DG rarely signs on new pianists, and their faith in Helene Grimaud must be based on a gamble that she will tke off like their discovery forty years ago, Martha Argerich. Like Argerich, Grimaud has a powerhouse technique. She eschews lady-liike sensitivity, and often pounds heavily like Claudio Arrua, as if this equates with profundity. I'm not sure I'm a fan yet. I admire the fact that Grimaud wants to say something new in each work. She phrases the thrice-familiar Chopin Second her way, and yet is her way really original and inspiring? To me it's not, although I'd rather hear her, heavy weather and all, than a run-of-the-mill account from a pianist with no ideas. Grimaud occasionally lapses into routine phrasing, as in the middle of the Funeral March, which detracts from any sense of personal involvement.

The sprawling Rachmaninov Sonata #2 is an opulent showpiece that dares newcomers to match Horowitz, if not the composer himself. Grimaud is more solid and straightforward--Germanic if you will--than the volatile, nervy Horowitz. She doesn't exhaust us the way he does, which is all to the good, since this ultra-virtuosic music is exhausting enough to begin with. Her phrasing is songful and simple. Persoanlly, I like her in this music better than in Chopin, and one's pleasue is increased by the beautiful piano sound provided by DG's engineers.

This sonata is one of the 19th century's landmarks of innovation and creativity. I recently reviewed Pollini's latest account and added an addendum with an admittedly rudimentary analysis. I have been in awe of this work for over thirty years.
I own too many recordings of this sonata to count. But, Helene Grimaud's performance is a "must have" for anyone who admires this work. I believe her reading can be compared to Uchida and Argerich.
In the first movement, one of the most exciting opening movements in the history of the form, Grimaud is mercurial, visceral and torrid. Here she stands with both Uchida and Argerich in drive and focus. In the development, where the main theme is transformed by modulations decades ahead of their time, she is sensational. One superb moment is in the bar just before the main theme's transformation. It's not accented in the score, but Grimaud emphasizes the c in the bass just before the f# and d natural so that when the b-flat is reached in the next bar (marked ff), it hits like a tidal wave.
Regarding the three remaining movements, I found Grimaud very balanced and precise in the scherzo but perhaps not quite to the level of Uchida and Argerich. In the third movement, the funeral march, she was convincing, but not to the degree of Uchida and Argerich. In the finale she was impressive, but Argerich, Pollini (2008) and Uchida are undeniably more incisive.
Regarding other performances of this great work, Pollini's 1986 account is great, even though he is a bit more tepid in the opening movement. His 2008 recording is magnificent except for the third movement, which is taken much too quickly. I have recorded Pollini's 2008 version with an omission of the third movement and the substitution of the 1986 recording of the funeral march. I find it much more satisfying.
Several artists chose to omit the repeat of the exposition in the opening movement. This is a catastrophic mistake. Rubinstein, Horowitz, Pogorelich, and Kissin are all guilty. Rubinstein's 1946 recording is too sloppy and his 1961 effort is too lethargic.
Many of the reviewers have expressed esteem for Ivan Moravec's performance. I thought he was unsure and unconvincing, particularly in the opening movement. I like his ballades and preludes, but not the sonata. Chopin's Op 35 calls for different mind-set than his other works. I believe that Uchida, Argerich,Grimaud, and Pollini get there. Some others (Ashkenazy, Shelley, Andsnes) get close, and the remaining performers make Schumann's remark of Chopin's "four unruly children" a reality.
Regarding the Berceuse, I think Grimaud does a very credible job. Her Barcarolle is also very, very beautifully done.
As far as the Rachmaninoff Sonata is concerned, I've never been impressed. Maybe if it was composed 60 - 70 years earlier, it could have been considered ground-breaking - maybe.
With that said, I heartily recommend this recording for Grimaud's Chopin.

Helene Grimaud's recording of Rachmaninoff's Second Sonata was the first recording of that piece which I owned. After listening through this CD once, I wondered how the composer of such sensuous music as the second and third concertos could have written such a dull sonata. It took Cliburn's recording to turn my mind around on this work.

The Rachmaninoff sonata is the main dud of this disc. There's none of the sparkle and none of the intensity of emotion that playing Rachmaninoff calls for. The first movement seems bangy; the second is rushed. Grimaud fails to bring out the lush second movement melody and instead plays it in a straightforward and uninspiring manner. Those who laud her style for being unsentimental miss the point- Rachmaninoff is supposed to be uninhibitedly passionate and a bit sappy. Overall, Grimaud's recording of the Rach Second Sonata compares unfavorably with both the versions by Horowitz and Cliburn. Unless you like your Rachmaninoff to sound like dried jerky, you might want to look elsewhere.

The Chopin is an improvement. The first movement lacks a sense of connectiveness, but that's alright; in fact, the broken feeling may even add to the slightly disjointed feel of the movement. However, the funeral march is a bit too subdued and the scherzo is not quite as chilly as versions by Argerich or Yuja Wang.

Grimaud does shine in the other two Chopin pieces. In the Berceuse, she plays the gentle melody with great sensitivity and her Barcarolle has the dark undertones that make the piece so much more than a simple gondolier's song.

If you're looking for a first recording of either sonata, look elsewhere (Cliburn or Horowitz for the Rachmaninoff, Argerich, Wang, or Rubinstein for the Chopin), but the Chopin may be worth collecting if you've heard other recordings. The main redeeming qualities of this disc are the two smaller Chopin pieces (especially the Berceuse), but it doesn't quite make up for the shortcomings of its two major featured works.

The central work on this new disc, Helene Grimaud's second for the yellow label, is the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Sonata, which like Horowitz, and Ruth Laredo starts off as the 1931 revised version, but inculcates music from the original 1913 version. Vladimir Horowitz, on his first recording for CBS from 1968, is so artful, especially in one controversial passage in the Exposition section of the first movement, that he seldom makes it seem that any of his editing ever compromises form.

Grimaud's tone and phrasing tending to be relentlessly heavy, the grafting back in of bravura passagework from 1913 here and closing out the passage with two long measures of cadence from the revised version (measures 53 and 54) becomes clumsy here. Laredo and the Horowitz (1980) on RCA are hardly better at doing exactly the same thing. She moreover follows Horowitz closely by playing the cadential passage up to where the last figure in it starts all in a diminuendo, which makes out of what has just come before the simply prolix and diffuse. After so much energy spent for ninety seconds or so, this brief passage sags under its own weight, whereas in the 1931 version, the segue into the long cadence that Rachmaninoff wrote therein carries forth organically and inconspicuously in seamless legato.

The middle section of the slow movement is another case in point, as here it becomes excessive in switching one version to the other, even jumping halfway through one measure in the original to a measure or two of broken chordal progression in the revised in one instance. Redundancies that were the reason the composer was critical himself of the first version, again become legion in this section, and perhaps a little more so than how the composer had started out in 1913. The finale of this sonata is the least messed with and offers the most successful playing on this disc, whereas a good handful places in the first movement must have a truly probing and very patient listener, looking askance back and forth between both versions, trying to remain mindful of interpretative issues at the same time.

The opening of the first movement begins with tremendous thrust, and with a very hard, at times a touch to octaves in the bass lacking in resonance - the downbeats in measures 27 and 28 almost sound like some form of artillery going off instead of the playing of (sustained) notes or octaves. Playing tends to be very choppy, especially in louder passages of the first movement. Cascades down of filled out octaves in the segue up to the Recapitulation are weighed down by playing that is too bass-heavy, resulting in a clangorous effect for the whole passage with little variety of color to have just preceded it and also a bit called for here. Pedaling also tends to be quite heavy, and one is inclined to believe that it is, here and there, no more than to maintain legato.

This new disc opens with the Second Piano Sonata or 'Funeral March' by Chopin, inspiration in part for the Rachmaninoff in the same key here, and at best infrequently paired with it on disc before. Polyphonic contrast within chordal figuration in the left hand at the start of the first movement is obscured quickly plowing through the broken chords in play. Things here on out move forward conventionally, if especially aggressive with some framing of gestures at several nodal points. An identifiable number of harmonic progressions toward the end of the first movement development section seem to move more vertically than horizontally. Clumsy accenting docks much of the scherzo, and to compensate for a lack of warmth, Grimaud back-phrases some of the trio section.

The effort to avoid sentimentalizing this music is undercut by a treacly note-to-note phrasing of and fat, wodgy trill during the middle section of the funeral march; similar happens with her flat line Berceuse several tracks later. Her plowing through octaves in the middle section of the Barcarolle, Opus 60, which closes the disc, makes this music sound much more urbane than to romantically depict music coming from afar - perhaps that was Grimaud's intent. Her playing of the unconventional finale to the sonata gives me pause more than anything else on this entire disc. The pedaling is heavy to the point of making it all to be like a chiaroscuro by Rachmaninoff.

I am reminded of the first ever album in 1981 by Ivo Pogorelich on DGG, all Chopin, that also included this sonata, the liner notes either quoting Pogorelich or written by him to exhort us that we should hear Chopin today as though after having heard Scriabin, Prokofieff, Rachmaninoff. Pogorelich, in his deconstructionist bent, had at least a few more ideas going for him, than Grimaud, whatever her new-age' concept of death and transcendence for the new album should mean. The most radical concept in play here is the music of Chopin, and indeed how it did influence Rachmaninoff perhaps as well. The radical elements of this music are best served by playing them against a strong delineation of its formal elements, the latter at which here Grimaud only vaguely hints.

Moreover, Grimaud having said that she was inspired to pick up the Chopin sonata here by having heard Pollini play it in London - where beyond Corigliano and Arvo Part (and Bartok 3 with Boulez), hopefully far beyond that, is there any progressive element to her programming, such as is frequently the case with Pollini, Haefliger, Aimard, Cascioli, Peter Serkin, and others? Not so much to question the sincerity of Miss Grimaud here, but this new disc raises more unintended questions than it starts answering.

Your best option for a truly fiery interpretation of the Rachmaninoff (1913 version) comes from Zoltan Kocsis (insightful liner notes by him included) on Philips, but out of print for now. I also highly recommend John Ogdon's Testament disc, from a higher calling still, of the complete Etudes-Tableaux.

This is my first encounter with Grimaud's playing and I can't say I enjoyed it much. Grimaud pounds the first two movements of the Chopin sonata into submission, rarely stopping to pause for breath or reaching anything below a forte. As for her "gorgeous tone" (as Dan Davis puts it), her sound gives a rich new meaning to "chalky." Her attempts at lyrical playing in the Trio of the Funeral March and the Berceuse are remarkably metronomic, and her trills in the latter are distictly unmagical. I suppose some will regard such playing as "powerful," but to me its mostly noisy. The Barcarolle is somewhat better, though no competition for the likes of Moravec and Lipatti. The Rachmaninov sonata, a remarkable piece of junk, fares better in Grimaud's heavy hands, but I doubt if I'll be listening to this cd in the future.