Hélène Grimaud: Bach

Copy at Case Memorial Library
Vivien Schweitzer wrote in the New York Times: "A red-hot rendition of the Bach-Busoni Chaconne in D minor from the Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin was a highlight of the pianist Hélène Grimaud's impressive evening at the 92nd Street Y on Saturday. The recital, in which she played selections by Bach juxtaposed with transcriptions by Liszt and Rachmaninoff as well as Busoni, coincided with the release of her new Deutsche Grammophon disc, 'Bach.' Ms. Grimaud is known primarily for her interpretations of 19th-century music, and her full-blooded and passionate renditions of Bach preludes and fugues, including No. 2 in C minor from Book 1 of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier,' were powerful, liberally pedaled and played with a Beethovenian force. The recital was organized by key. Bach's Prelude and Fugue No. 6 in D minor from Book 2 of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier,' for example, was juxtaposed with the Bach-Busoni. Busoni once said: 'Bach is the foundation of pianoforte playing; Liszt, the summit. The two make Beethoven possible'" ("Music in Review: Hélène Grimaud," 3/3/09).