Bach-Beethoven-Brahms – Trans-Mission III

For more than two decades, Hélène Grimaud has been a regular guest at Gstaad Festival & Academy – yet, there’s a special excitement for her visit this year. The French pianist, who calls Switzerland her home, is set to dazzle in three concerts, each with a new lineup. Before taking the stage in a duo and with orchestral backing, Grimaud, a former student of Pierre Barbizet and Jacques Rouvier, embarks on a recital dedicated to the three major “B”s ... with a fourth, Ferruccio Busoni, joining the group. Busoni is renowned for his breathtaking transcription of Bach’s Chaconne from the Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin. The evening commences with compositions by Beethoven and Brahms, hailing from the late periods of both composers and marked by a heightened musical expression. Reflecting on Brahms’s Intermezzi, Op. 117 in a diary entry from 1892, Clara Schumann exclaimed that they are “a true source of delight, encompassing everything – poetry, passion, enthusiasm, intimacy – filled with the most wonderful sonic effects ...”