HELENE GRIMAUD: THE ROMANTIC PIANO (2 CDS)

Hélène Grimaud’s particular fascination with the music of German composers – from Beethoven, the father of musical Romanticism, through Schumann and Brahms to the late Romanticism of Strauss – is reflected in this 2-CD set, which also embraces music by Rachmaninov, Ravel and Gershwin. A pianist who combines intellectual and philosophical rigour with a readiness to take risks as she strives for expressive freedom, Grimaud is motivated by a profound personal belief in the power of music: “Music changed my life - it gave me a sense of purpose and direction. It saved me.”