Helene Grimaud - The Messenger

With her new album, Hélène Grimaud takes us to Salzburg, where she intriguingly juxtaposes W. A. Mozart and Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov (b. 1937). Following her successful DG debut album "Credo", this innovative combination is typical of her approach and signals another new beginning. She has carefully selected music by Mozart (in C or D minor) that fits into an overall dramaturgy: From Mozart's famous unfinished D minor Fantasy, she segues seamlessly into the great D minor Concerto, K. 466 - one of the most popular of Mozart's 27 concertos (and one of only two in A minor). Here, the C minor Fantasy signals "the end of Mozart" and a new beginning: The Messenger begins with a theme reminiscent of Mozart, establishing a link, like a messenger, between the present and the world that existed before. Melancholy and hope, sadness and exuberance emanate from both Mozart's and Silvestrov's works. Hélène has long had a passion for Silvestrov's music, which some call postmodern or even neoclassical. "Like Arvo Pärt, Silvestrov's music is harmonic, which is not a weakness at all, but an enlightenment in itself and very powerful in its simplicity," she says. The Messenger, one of Silvestrov's most beautiful and most performed works (additionally available in the piano solo version) testifies to this impressively.

Price: $19.98

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