Valentin Silvestrov: Bagatelle I from "Bagatelles I-XIII"
Claude Debussy: Arabesque No. 1 in E major from "Deux Arabesques"
Valentin Silvestrov: Bagatelle II from "Bagatelles I-XIII"
Erik Satie: Gnossienne No. 4 from "6 Gnossiennes"
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72 no. 1
Erik Satie: Gnossienne No. 1 from "6 Gnossiennes"
Erik Satie: Gymnopédie No. 1
Erik Satie: IV Danses de travers: No. 4 (1) En y regardant à deux fois from "Six pièces froides"
Claude Debussy: La plus que lente L.121
Frederic Chopin: Mazurka in A minor, Op. 17 no. 4
Frederic Chopin: Waltz No. 3 in A minor, Op. 34 no. 2
Claude Debussy: Clair de lune
Claude Debussy: Rêverie L.68
Erik Satie: IV Danses de travers: No. 5 (2) Passer from "Six pièces froides"
Nitin Sawhney: Breathing Light (piano solo)

I'm certain that most of you reading this will think to youselves: "Meh, just another one of those music collections meant for relaxation". Let me state clearly that music is not meant to relax but rather to stimulate the mind, the senses and the soul. All of you who have purchased The Most Relaxing Classical Album in the World...Ever! (and I remember selling thousands of copies of that CD during my many years in music retail) have been listening to "classical" music for the wrong reason, relegating it to the background of your life rather than something to interact with. (I guess I should brace myself now for disagreeable email).

Pianist Hélène Grimaud states: "Music peels back the layers of time to reveal the essence of experience. Momentary pain, distress, elation, fades – what remains is sensation. Sensation is the resonance of experience in the space of memory. And it is the space where music resonates within each of us – touching us, moving us, bringing us closer to ourselves. In that way, music can also help remind us that for all in our daily lives that is trivial, there’s a place where meaning is stored. And that it is not forgetfulness that is our burden, but the capacity to reflect and remember that is the wonder of being alive. The music must be so transparent as to allow the poetry to shimmer though."

Her interpretation of these pieces reflects that philosophy. She doesn't treat them as mere tchotchke, and some of her selections are rather unusual for this type of collection. One only need listen to how much depth of emotion she brings to the subdued Bagatelle I by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. She doesn't Disneyfy Claude Debussy's Clair de lune but instead makes it glow from within. There's bitter vexation and sadness at the thought of something or someone lost within Frederic Chopin's Nocturne No. 19 in E minor, and there's much more than the mind can imagine inside Erik Satie's quirky and peculiar little pieces. Under Grimaud's touch, these exquisite little gems take you on an excursion deep within yourself from which you return reassured of music's power to stimulate the soul.

I for one have always admired Hélène Grimaud's focused and highly personal approach to everything she plays. Most particularly the piano works of Brahms, Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, and Ravel's Piano Concerto in G. This collection displays the same high level of commitment and more importantly, engagement with the music. The recording took place in a former beer hall converted into a church, and captures the level of resonance and air around the notes perfectly suited to this type of piano music.