Helene Grimaud presents her first-ever Bach ! Once
again, charismatic Helene Grimaud presents an album with an
individual concept. Bach vs. Bach Transcribed brings together
original keyboard works by the master with works by Bach arranged
(transcribed) for the piano by pianist-composers of later
generations: Busoni, Liszt & Rachmaninov. This is the first time
that Hélène Grimaud has recorded Bach - a challenge for any
musician. The repertoire includes the famous Well-Tempered
Clavier II and the Concerto no. 1 in D minor, the latter
performed with Grimaud's regular collaborators, the
Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Bach "Transcribed" features the
Bach/Busoni version of the Chaconne in D minor, the Violin
Partita in E major arranged for piano by Rachmaninov, and Liszt's
version of the Prelude and Fugue in A minor. A landmark project
in Grimaud's successful career, this is bound to be a
best-seller.
Review
------
"Hélène Grimaud clearly feels the music she performs
very deeply . . . Grimaud lacks nothing in power, intensity or
technical finesse . . . one encounters a sense of fantasy . . ."
-- Classic FM, London, October 2007
About the Artist
----------------
Hélène Grimaud was born in Aix-en Provence in the
south of France in 1969. She studied with Jacqueline Courtin at
the conservatory there and subsequently in Marseille with Pierre
Barbizet. At the age of 13 she was accepted by the Paris
Conservatory where she won the first prize in piano in 1985. In
July, immediately after graduating, she recorded Rachmaninov's
Sonata no. 2 and the complete Etudes-Tableaux op. 33 (Grand Prix
du disque, 1986). She studied additionally with Gyorgy Sandor and
Leon Fleisher. The year 1987 marked a decisive turning point in
her career with appearances at MIDEM in Cannes and at the piano
festival La Roque d'Anthéron, her first recital in Tokyo and
Daniel Barenboim's invitation to perform with the Orchestre de
Paris. Hélène Grimaud has since performed with many of the
world's major orchestras and renowned conductors. 1988 First
performs for pianist Dmitri Bashkirov, who becomes an important
influence on her playing. Appearance at the Lockenhaus Festival
at the invitation of Gidon Kremer, with whom she performs; Kremer
and Martha Argerich become further important influences in her
career 1990 Debut with the Cleveland Orchestra, followed by
appearances with leading orchestras in the USA and Europe.
Settles in the USA. New York recital debut at the Metropolitan
Museum; European debut with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic under
Temirkanov (Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto no. 2) at the
Aix-en-Provence Festival 1993 Tours Germany with the Gothenburg
Symphony Orchestra under Neeme Järvi 1995 Debut with the Berliner
Philharmoniker led by Abbado (Rachmaninov, Concerto no. 2) 1996
Highly successful tour of Spain with Jeffrey Tate and the English
Chamber Orchestra; performs with the Gustav Mahler Youth
Orchestra under Abbado at the Lucerne and Pesaro Festivals 1997
Performs and records Brahms's Concerto no. 1 with Kurt Sanderling
and the Berlin Staatskapelle (Cannes Classical of the
Year, 1999) 1999 New York Philharmonic debut with Beethoven's
Concerto no. 4 under Kurt Masur. Gri¬maud and the photographer J
Henry Fair establish the Wolf Conservation Center, a private,
non-profit-making educational facility in South Salem
(Westchester County, NY), to promote conservation of this
threatened species 2000 Debuts with the Boston Symphony and the
Philadelphia Orchestra. Soloist in a European festival tour with
Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. Performs
Beethoven's Concerto no. 4 with the Berliner Philhar¬moniker and
gives a solo recital in the Philharmonie which is filmed for TV
broadcast 2001/ 2002 Debut in Amsterdam with the Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly (Ravel, Concerto
in G). Beethoven's Concerto no. 4 in Paris, and at the London
Proms with the Orchestre de Paris and Eschenbach. In January 2002
she is appointed an "Offi¬cier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres" by the French Ministry of Culture 2002/ 2003 Signs an
exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. Gives world premiere
of new work by Arvo Pärt at London's Tate Modern and performs
Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Philharmonia at the Royal
Festival Hall. Festival appearances at the London Proms and
Edinburgh 2003/ 2004 Records Pärt's Credo in the composer's
presence; the also features Coriglia¬no's Fantasia on
an ostinato and Beethoven's Choral Fantasy and Tempest Sonata
(Choc du Monde de la musique, Diapason d'or, 2004). Publication
in 2003 of her book Wild Harmonies ("Variations sauvages") in
which she talks about her life as a musician and her
environmental work with wolves (international release in
September 2006) 2004 Beethoven's Concerto no. 4 in San Francisco;
US tour with the Russian National Or¬chestra (Bartók, Concerto
no. 3); Beethoven's Concerto no. 5 on a European tour with
Michael Gielen. Records the Second Sonatas of Chopin and
Rach¬maninov, plus Chopin's Barcarolle and Berceuse, and Bartók's
Concerto no. 3 with Boulez and the LSO (German Record Critics
Award, Record Academy Prize, Tokyo, 2005; Midem Classic Award,
2006), both released in 2005 2005 Records Reflection - music
inspired by Clara Schumann, including her husband Robert's Piano
Concerto, songs by Clara herself, and solo and chamber music by
Brahms (release: 2006). Echo Award in the category
"Instrumentalist of the Year". In October 2005 her second book
Leçons particulières is published 2006 Appearances throughout the
USA, Europe and in Japan, including concerts with the London
Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, St.
Petersburg Philhar¬monic, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, San
Francicso Symphony Orchestra, Gul¬benkian Orchestra, Vienna
Symphony and the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (London Proms), as
well as recitals at New York's Carnegie Hall, with the LSO
Chamber En¬semble and at festivals including the Lucerne Festival
and the Musikfest Bremen 2007 Concerts include appearances in the
USA, Canada and Europe with the Dallas, Chicago and Toronto
Symphony orchestras, the New York Philharmonic, Russian National
Or¬chestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Berliner Philhar¬moniker
and Berlin Staatskapelle. With the Dresden Staatskapelle and
Fabio Luisi she performs Beethoven's Concerto no. 5 on tour
throughout Europe, and also with the Strasburg Philharmonic
Orchestra in France and Germany, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie
in Germany, the Israel Philharmonic Or¬chestra in Tel Aviv, and
the Philadelphia Orchestra in the USA. Recitals in Los Angeles,
Luxemburg, Vienna and Germany. Appearances at the Caramoor Summer
Festival with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Aix-en-Provence
Festival with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the Verbier Festival
(with Maisky and Quasthoff), and the Salzburg Festival. Release
of Beethoven's Piano Concerto no. 5 with the Dresden
Staatskapelle under Vladimir Jurowski 2008 Performs concertos in
the USA with the Orchestra of St. Luke's (Carnegie Hall,
Beet¬hoven, no. 5), the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Bartók,
no. 3), the Washington National Symphony Orchestra (Beethoven,
no. 4); in Europe with the Philharmonia Orchestra (Beethoven,
nos. 4 & 5), the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (Ravel, G
major), the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (on tour in Israel;
Beethoven, nos. 4 & 5), the London Philharmonic Orchestra
(Schumann; Rachmaninov, no. 2), Dresden Staats¬kapelle
(Schumann), the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (Rachmaninov, no. 2),
Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Brahms, no. 2); with the Orchestra del
Teatro alla Scala (Brahms, no. 1) and in Japan with the Frankfurt
Radio Symphony Orches¬tra (Beethoven, no. 5). Solo and
chamber-music recitals in London, New York, France and numerous
German cities; festival appearances in Istanbul, Verbier, and
Lucerne. A special highlight is her appearance at the Last Night
of the Proms in London's Royal Albert Hall; the concert will be
broadcast live around the world. Grimaud records works by J. S.
Bach, including the Harpsichord Concerto no. 1 and three Preludes
and Fugues, and transcriptions of Bach by Busoni, Liszt and
Rachmaninov (release: autumn 2008) 2009 Scheduled appearances
include a tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the
direction of Vladimir Jurowski in France, Germany and
Switzerland; performances of Bach's Piano Concerto BWV 1052 in
Spain, Italy and Germany with the Bavarian Radio Chamber
Orchestra; numerous recitals with Lisa Batiashvili and Truls Mørk
playing works by Brahms, Shostakovich and Schumann in Spain,
Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands; appearances at the
Verbier Festival and concerts in London with the Philharmonia
Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy