Wednesday, May 7th, 8.30 PM at Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli
Hélène Grimaud joins the CAMERATA Salzburg for a concert entirely dedicated to Brahms on Wednesday, May 7th, at 8:30 PM at the Auditorium Giovanni Agnelli. The French pianist returns to Lingotto after her debut in 2023, even then with the esteemed ensemble ambassador of Salzburg’s Mozartian style. Leading the Austrian orchestra, founded by Bernhard Paumgartner in 1952, is the Italo-Venezuelan Giovanni Guzzo, first violin and concertmaster for CAMERATA Salzburg since 2016.
The superstar from Aix-en-Provence Hélène Grimaud as soloist in Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
World-renowned concert pianist Hélène Grimaud performs Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15, a piece she has recorded twice, in 1998 and 2013. In 1987 she made her recital debut in Tokyo; during the same year, Daniel Barenboim extended an invitation to her to perform with the Orchestre de Paris, which marked the beginning of Grimaud’s illustrious musical career. Since then, she has graced the stages of renowned orchestras worldwide and collaborated with many celebrated conductors. Praised for her extensive discography, since 2002 Hélène Grimaud has been an exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist. Her prodigious contribution to the world of classical music was recognised by the French government, who appointed her “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
A tribute to early Brahmsian Romanticism
The evening opens with the Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15, composed between 1856 and 1858. First written as a symphony and then as a sonata for two pianos, it ultimately took its definitive form as a piano concert, thanks to the advice of close friends of the 24-year-old composer, foremost Clara Schumann and Joseph Joachim. Despite his young age, the work succeeded in demonstrating his remarkable compositional virtues. Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 follows. Written at the court of Detmold, the piece was originally made for an octet of strings and winds based on the model of Mozart’s serenades; then, it was rewritten for orchestra, revealing deep currents of Brahmsian Romanticism.