Beethoven：Moonlight Sonata -Adagio sostenuto- hélène grimaud,piano

Introducing the debut CD of Vilde Frang, said Princess Haiku

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Here is an excerpt from a wonderful new talent, Vildre Frang. Just when you think you have heard it all a fresh new voice appears.


"A fully fledged violinist with full control of technique, surplus and an incredible joy of interpretation"

"Ushering in the Sibelius with a sweetly tremulous whisper, Frang heralds one of the freshest and most vital accounts of this familiar and frequently recorded work in recent years ... The Prokofiev is no less vividly realised, Frang capturing its big-boned , muscular lyricism, animated whimsy and romantic abandon with deceptive ease and a maturity that makes one eager to hear more from this fine player"

Elegant and chic, Sarah Chang, said Princess Haiku playing the Brahms Violin Concerto.

I haven't heard Sarah Chang live in concert for three or four years and was delighted to come across this youtube video of her playing Brahms Violin Concerto in D. This is one of my favorites and the delight of people across the globe. Sarah is so expressive when she plays it is almost as though she dances with her violin. The warmth and fire in her playing is a wonder.

I don't know about you but I can't envision a world without Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin and other great classical music.

Princess Haiku is linked to Helene Grimaud's Website

More here.


How nice to discover that I am linked to la Belle Helene's official French website, said Princess Haiku. It's worth a visit as there are great photos and links. Credit for photo above here.

Another link to la Belle Helene is here. Check my archives for reviews that I have written about some of her CD releases.

Below is a reprint of "The Sea Change of Helene Grimaud"

Helene Grimaud, has always been recognized as a gifted pianist and recently gone through a sea change, transforming into a virtuoso of legendary ability. The phrase "sea change" derives from a quotation in Shakespeare's play, "The Tempest," suggesting a profound transformation caused by a remarkable agency or energy.

I had the pleasure of hearing Helene Grimaud's new CD "Reflection" a musical dialog between Robert & Clara Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. Grimaud plays with a lightness and subtlety belonging to sea-foam with the force and passion of the ocean beneath. Her interpretation incarnates the spirit of these composers. As I listened to Robert Schumann's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, waves parted with color as they did for Marc Chagall. I listened with a poetic mind, as consciousness spilled forth from a keyboard; auditory moonlight reflecting upon minnows darting in and out of the sky's eye.

So intimately, does Grimaud understand Brahms in his Sonata for Piano and Violoncello no. 1 in E minor, that she evokes him as one would a beloved; effortlessly and without self-consciousness. In the music of- Brahms Two Rhapsodies for Piano, Helene Grimaud removes herself so completely as pianist, as an intermediary, that she becomes the music.

"Reflections" is for everyone; the consummate music professional seeking extreme virtuosity, a poet such as myself seeking music to awaken the spirit or anyone who enjoys beautiful music. I suggest that you add this CD to your collection for Helene Grimaud will soon be recognized as a legendary artist.