Wednesday, 24 November 2010

Helene Grimaud at the RFH

Yesterday night I went to see HG again. A solo concert as five or six years ago, same auditorium. Then the earth moved. And the skies opened and a new life started. Yesterday, it was also a recital and a good one. But nothing moved much apart from Helene's swift hands on the keyboard. I found that Mozart was not for her at all. She gave him
a military ardour and brilliance way too OTT for the nuanced Amadeus, here travestied as a thunderous god. Then during the deconstructed second bit ( Berg ?) I fell asleep. Oh dear. Was very tired. Then more rushing of hands on keyboard, and it was over. The 'encore' was the best. An hungarian dance with colour, rythm and flavour. All three missing rather from the previous two pieces. It was odd that Helene, so intense, lyrical and melodic chose to play bits that felt rather dull and dry. And why Mozart ? But why no Bach
at all when she recorded a whole beautiful CD of his music ? On the whole a lovely evening but nowhere near as tremendous as the one, a few years back, when her walking on stage changed my life.

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