French-born Grimaud, now living in the United States, experiences synaesthesia (where music is seen as colour as well as heard). This may help her interpretive conceptions and programme building with different perspectives. The double album is a compilation featuring tracks from her DG recordings, presenting highlights from her million-sold albums between 2004 and 2016, from Bach to Bartok, chosen with the soloist’s assistance to present a portrait of her career. One LP is devoted to solo pieces, the other one to concerto movements.
You feel that Grimaud has deeply considered the choice of the music just as carefully as she interprets the composers: the grandeur of Bach, some fiery Beethoven, playful and crisp Mozart, cherished Chopin, etc. All show she decides the scores deserve respect by many different treatments and that she enables them to be played in many different colours.
Her choice of different movements from each work is also interesting. It shows that the perception of the popular pianist being one who uses lots of rubato, wide dynamics and passionate expressions to be overly romantic at the keyboard is one that needs review. These two LPs do provide new perspectives. So the album title is well chosen.
The other composers represented are Rachmaninov, Debussy, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, and Sgambati (Melodie de Gluck). Generous programmes on the two discs portray Grimaud’s artistic journey; her interpretations do offer new perspectives on familiar music.
Verdict: Piano masterworks in colourful interpretation.
