Helene Graimaud : The Messenger

For her latest studio album, Hlne travels to Salzburg where she creates a fascinating juxtaposition between the eternal W.A. Mozart and the Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov (b. 1937). Hlne has long had a passion for Silvestrov's music, which some call post-modernist or even neoclassical. 'Like Arvo Prt, Silvestrov's music is harmonic, which far from being a weakness, is an enlightenment in its own right and very powerful in its simplicity', says Hlne. The composer's own words hint at why this is for her so intriguing: 'I do not write new music. My music is a response to and an echo of what already exists'. In selecting the music for this album, Hlne has carefully chosen music by Mozart that fits into an overall dramaturgy: from Mozart's famous unfinished D minor Fantasy, Helene transitions seamlessly into the great D minor concerto K. 466 - one of the most popular amongst Mozart's 27 concertos (and one of only two in a min