Daniel Grimwood is a musical explorer. Happy to perform familiar repertoire he also delights in what are too often considered musical by-ways. He is also a lover of historic instruments and has performed, for example, Liszt's Transcendental Etudes and the complete Annees De Pelerinage on both modern and historic pianos. His recordings include the complete Faure Nocturnes an expression of his 'inner being and whole heart.' His outlook and gifts are richly comprehensive. And, as he puts it, 'give me a piano that works and people who want to listen and I will play.'
Ever enterprising, he now turns to Widor's little known piano music, anxious that audiences hear a side of the composer famous for 'one movement of one piece,' the Toccata from the Symphony for Organ No 5. Reading his accompanying essay and listening to playing that is a happy bend of musical quality and virtuosity you are made aware of a labour of love. For him the 'Variations sur un-Theme original' are 'pristine' and range from a courtly opening to a wild and whirling finale. 'Carnaval' is indebted to Schumann(there are virtual quotes) and is for Grimwood 'sexy, profound, whimsical, dangerous and occasionally silly,' a generous description even if it ends with a perhaps unwilling admission. Characterisation is vivid and inclusive ranging through 'Timales et Trompettes,' 'Flirt' to Francesca,' just possibly Francesca de Rimini who Grimwood finds 'voluptuous and lovely.' The Cinq pieces opus 71 consist of waltzes the 'Valse gai' just possibly remembering Saint-Saens's waltz of the same title, followed by Valse triste(Sibelius), Valse oubliee(Liszt) together with Kermesse(a combination of 'church' and 'mass') described by Harold Fabrikant as 'Widor's most bravura style piano piece.' The Nocturne recalls Chopin, and the programme ends with the famous Toccata in Widor's own piano transcription, thrown off by Grimwood with all the necessary aplomb and rhythmic pungency.
This is a most absorbing disc, well recorded and a tribute to a more than enterprising pianist.
Bryce Morrison