Sonata 2 / Barcarolle / Berceuse
Hélène Grimaud's releases on DG have each been built around a "concept." Here, it's death and transcendence. The philosophically bent can get Grimaud's explanation in the booklet notes, while the musical among us can just listen to a stimulating program of standard repertory freshened by one of today's outstanding younger pianists. In the Chopin Sonata, Grimaud's volatile first movement and delicately colorful finale provide the tone and resolution required by both composer and her own philosophical outlook. The latter, though, means a dry-eyed Funeral March shorn of any trace of sentimentality yet not lacking power, more a contemplation of mourning rather than the thing itself. The Rachmaninov Sonata is his 1931 revision with Grimaud's restoration of sections of the 1913 original. As in the Chopin, Grimaud's gorgeous tone and the clarity of her articulation help make this an outstanding performance. The program closes with a pair of Chopin's most affecting works, the Berceuse and the Barcarolle, both beautifully played.--Dan Davis