Helene Grimaud - The Very Best of Helene Grimaud (2009)

Instead of offering a smattering of short hits for the piano, Denon has made this CD a more substantial presentation: two complete sonatas by Rachmaninov and Brahms, along with a healthy portion of Schumann's Kreisleriana, performed with high energy, technical assuredness, and Romantic richness by precocious French pianist Hélène Grimaud. Her 1985 performance of Rachmaninov's Sonata No. 2, Op. 36, marks the beginning of her international career, and demonstrates an awareness of her strengths and capabilities, even at the age of 15. Though this recording is marred by a slightly muted reproduction, the performance is remarkable for its controlled intensity and dynamic consistency, and its inclusion here is justifiable for more than documentary reasons. The sound is much clearer on the six selections from Kreisleriana, recorded in 1988, and Grimaud reveals enough of Schumann's quirkiness without caricaturing his music, or adding any novelties of her own. Her performance of Brahms' Sonata No. 3 in F minor, Op. 5, may surprise for its linear clarity, crisp rhythms, and clean attacks; these suggest that Grimaud brings a French sensibility to this Sonata, often played by others with Teutonic heaviness. Recorded in 1991, this recording shares with the Schumann satisfactory sound quality.