Hélène Grimaud's performances on this disc -- a coupling of
Beethoven "Emperor" Piano Concerto with his Piano Sonata in A major, Op. 101 -- are truly fantastic. Her technique is essentially untouchable and her tone is surprisingly colorful. And, as in her previous recordings, her interpretations are outrageous. With
Vladimir Jurowski and the
Dresden Staatskapelle in the concerto,
Grimaud is unafraid to do whatever she wants with balance and tempos. And alone in the sonata, she is even more audacious, bending, shaping, sculpting the music with no restraint applied except her own taste.
Jurowski gets the
Dresden Staatskapelle to follow where
Grimaud leads in the concerto, and the results in both cases are perhaps the most persuasive recording of the pianist's career. Deutsche Grammophon's sound is exceptional.