Water (Limited Edition)

Water (Limited Edition)

On this release, H©l¨ne 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.<br> <br>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.<br> <br>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.<br> <br>Being a project with three distinct levels of creative aspiration: artistic, inventive, and activist, this album explores the theme of water through:<br><br>Musical evocations of water in its various forms (lakes, oceans, waves, fountains, snowflakes...)<br><br>An acoustic stream so called Water Transitions, weaving the classical repertoire together within a journey through nature, produced by Nitin Sawhney.<br><br>Raising awareness for the critical situation of water in our modern world: pollution and threats to biodiversity, sanitation and clean drinking water, irrigation, mass aridization and drought.<br><br>Reflections on Water / Comments by H©l¨ne Grimaud<br><br>Berio: Wasserklavier<br>Sweet sadness reflecting the impermanence of the human condition as incarnated by water.<br> <br>Takemitsu: Rain Tree Sketch II<br>Light breeze blowing through the leaves of the Rain Tree, like the whisper of a prayer, part interrogation to the sky, part invocation.<br> <br>Faur©: Barcarolle no.5<br>Gentle journey between the world of childhood experiences and the imaginary world of chivalresque adventures.<br> <br>Ravel: Jeux d'eaux<br>The poetic and playful nature of a water divinity in its unbridled expression.<br> <br>Albeniz: Almeria<br>The torrid languor of a coastal landscape where the underlying sensuality and passion of its land and inhabitants find only relief in the soothing, pulsating rhythm of its most vital element.<br> <br>Liszt: Les jeux d'eau   la Villa d'Este<br>The crossing between water as a decorative presence and its mystical dimension through its transformative powers and ultimately redemptive quality.<br> <br>Janacek: In the mists 1<br>A nostalgic state of mind imbued in mystery during the act of storytelling.<br> <br>Debussy: La cath©drale engloutie<br>The prophetic nature and daunting specter of a lost temple of beliefs turned haunted kingdom.