Piano Concertos Nos 19 & 23

This album marks two 'firsts' for Hélène Grimaud - her first live DG recording and her first ever Mozart concerto recording. The album is the culmination of a musical love affair which began two years ago when the French pianist played Bach with the Kammerorchester des Symphonieorchesters des Bayerischen Rundfunks (Chamber Orchestra of the Bavarian Radio). From the beginning there was a very special chemistry and musical understanding. In May this year Hélène Grimaud returned to Munich to play Mozart with the orchestra led by her from the piano, in collaboration with the concert master Radoslaw Szulc. The pianist was so excited by the concerts that she was inspired to release this live recording. As well as the two concertos, the album includes the beautiful concert aria for orchestra, soprano and piano 'Ch'io mi scordi di te', sung by Mojca Erdmann. Hélène has loved this aria since she first heard it as a child and for her it represents what is most characteristic in Mozart's music: grace and tenderness. The aria was Mozart's declaration of love to the soprano Nancy Storace, his Susanna in the world premiere of "Le nozze di Figaro". It was composed in 1786, the same year as the Piano Concerto No.23 which it joins here