Hélène Grimaud: Water (Live At Park Avenue Armory, New York 2014)

One of the world’s most celebrated pianists, renowned for the emotional intensity of her interpretations, Hélène Grimaud presents a beautiful, haunting call to nature – ‘WATER’ is an evocative, experimental, deeply personal project combining Hélène’s two greatest passions: music and nature

On this release, Hélène performs all water-themed, romantic and contemporary classical pieces by composers such as Liszt, Debussy, Ravel and more, who all shared a fascination for Water

In addition to these traditional evocations of rivers, lakes, seas, snowflakes, and raindrops, the album also reflects a contemporary perspective on water – and the lack thereof. These elements are woven into the album narrative through musical ‘Water – Transitions’ – ambient soundscapes composed, recorded and produced by Nitin Sawhney, a celebrated world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer and cultural pioneer

Reaffirming her role as one of classical music’s most captivating performers, combined with her sense of commitment to the ecological and humanitarian challenges of our day, this project underscores Grimaud’s contention that “there are two significant measures of a society: how we support culture and how we treat our environment.”

Gramophone Magazine March 2016

“Grimaud interprets a multitude of styles with passionate authority. Her tellingly nuanced narrative flow in Albéniz’s ‘Almeria’ bodes well for a complete Iberia down the road, should Grimaud be so inclined.