The Golden Tones of Hélène Grimaud’s Existence
by Trent Gilliss, senior editor
The French pianist Hélène Grimaud describes herself as an agitated and unpredictable child who found her salvation in music. And, now, as an adult, it’s wolf conservation and their howling as “one of the most beautiful sounds in nature.”
This interview with Alexis Bloom for Sound Tracks is delightfully produced and touches on a number of interesting other subjects in Grimaud’s life, including her synesthesia and the golden tones of Liszt’s sonata.
And, if, like me, you’d like to hear what Liszt’s Sonata in B minor, what she calls “a monumental quest,” sounds like, take four minutes and watch Grimaud perform this excerpt at Steinway Hall in New York. It’s pretty magical.
(Thanks nhpublictv!)
