Hélène Grimaud’s latest album for Deutsche Grammophon, produced by Nitin Sawhney, was inspired by her abiding fascination with Nature’s most precious gift. "Water" is set for worldwide release on February 5, 2016 and conveys imaginative responses to everything from mighty oceans and great lakes to raindrops and snowflakes as well as inviting listeners to contemplate the mounting threats to the safety, security and supply of this essential resource.
Hélène Grimaud is niet alleen een begaafd pianiste, ze heeft ook een bijzondere band met de natuur. Na drie jaar voorbereiding lanceert de in Florida woonachtige Française dit eigenzinnige album Water. Het gaat om acht composities die het thema water centraal stellen. Deze opname is een live registratie van concert in New York met werken van Berio, Takemitsu, Fauré, Ravel, Albéniz, Liszt, Janacek en Debussy. Als overbrugging heeft de Britse DJ Nitin Sawhney zeven watertransitons gecomponeerd. Kleine veelal elektronische sprongetjes van pianowerk naar pianowerk. Aan het einde van het album karakteriseert Hélène Grimaud elk gespeeld werk in een paar woorden, gevolgd door een muzikaal citaat. Een sprankelend en inspirerend wateralbum dat ons eraan herinnert hoe zeer water aan leven is verbonden.
Hélène Grimaud: Water
Live At Park Avenue Armory, New York 2014
Albéniz: Almeria (from Iberia, book 2)
Berio: Six Encores: Wasserklavier
Debussy: Préludes - Book 1: No. 10, La cathédrale engloutie
Fauré: Barcarolle No. 5 in F sharp minor Op. 66
Janacek: In the Mists
Liszt: Les jeux d'eaux à la Villa d'Este (Années de pèlerinage III, S. 163 No. 4)
Ravel: Jeux d'eau
Sawhney: Water - 7 Transitions
Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch II
One of the world’s most celebrated pianists, renowned for the emotional intensity of her interpretations, Hélène Grimaud presents a beautiful, haunting call to nature – ‘WATER’ is an evocative, experimental, deeply personal project combining Hélène’s two greatest passions: music and nature
On this release, Hélène performs all water-themed, romantic and contemporary classical pieces by composers such as Liszt, Debussy, Ravel and more, who all shared a fascination for Water
In addition to these traditional evocations of rivers, lakes, seas, snowflakes, and raindrops, the album also reflects a contemporary perspective on water – and the lack thereof. These elements are woven into the album narrative through musical ‘Water – Transitions’ – ambient soundscapes composed, recorded and produced by Nitin Sawhney, a celebrated world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer
Reaffirming her role as one of classical music’s most captivating performers, combined with her sense of commitment to the ecological and humanitarian challenges of our day, this project underscores Grimaud’s contention that “there are two significant measures of a society: how we support culture and how we treat our environment.”
