Hélène de Montgeroult’s life reads like a novel: showing a precocious musical ability as a child in pre-revolutionary France, she became fêted as one of the finest pianists and improvisers of her time. Imprisoned during an attempt to reach Naples at the time of the Revolution, she was able to return to France. Here she worked for the Institut National de Musique, only to be imprisoned again during the Reign of Terror. Finally freed for good, she was made professor of piano at the Conservatoire de Musique in Paris, the first woman to occupy such a position. Meanwhile, she managed to compose an important body of work for the piano as well as a complete method, including 114 études.
Hélène Grimaud's particular fascination with the music of German composers - from Beethoven, the father of musical Romanticism, through Schumann and Brahms to the late Romanticism of Strauss - is reflected in this 2-CD set, which also embraces music by Rachmaninov, Ravel and Gershwin. A pianist who combines intellectual and philosophical rigour with a readiness to take risks as she strives for expressive freedom, Grimaud is motivated by a profound personal belief in the power of music: "Music changed my life - it gave me a sense of purpose and direction. It saved me."
The first-ever concert DVD of pianist Hélène Grimaud in collaboration with conducting legend Claudio Abbado captures an unforgettable night at the Lucerne Festival 2008! The all-Russian program extends from Tchaikovsky's romantic lushness to Rachmaninoff's dramatics to the astringent musical tonic that is uniquely Stravinsky's. Grimaud and Abbado propound poetic and impactful interpretations through the recreative power of sterling musicianship with this unforgettable performance. The Lucerne Festival Orchestra numbers virtuoso instrumentalists from such distinguished entities as the Alban Berg and Hagen Quartets. DVD Extras include a rare Abbado on-camera interview.