Subtitle this recording “A Tale of Two Emperors” or “Opposites Distract”. Listeners accustomed to lyrical nuance and tonal majesty in the manner of Arrau, Kempff or Bronfman’s recent recording (Arte Nova, A/06) won’t find these qualities in Hélène Grimaud’s energetic, driving and sometimes blunt-edged handling of the solo part. By contrast, certain precepts of period performance govern conductor Vladimir Jurowski’s conception. Winds and brass dominate the balance, sometimes to the extent that secondary lines zoom in for unexpected close-ups (but let’s face it, who doesn’t love the Dresden horns’ legato of melted gold?). Rhythms are firmly, even rigidly delineated to the point where certain notes are clipped of their full value, although this proves to be an asset where the timpani’s crucial role is concerned. Perhaps the slow movement most strongly hints at an un-meeting of minds in how Jurowski takes the orchestral introduction at more of an Allegretto than an Adagio un poco mosso, while Grimaud corrects him with her slower entrance.

Grimaud plays loose with Op 101’s first movement, and sneaks in a few old-fashioned arpeggiated chords. She rhapsodises even more over the second movement’s Trio, yet doesn’t let up for a second in the outer march sections. Following a broad, introspective Adagio, Grimaud unleashes the finale as if the music had been bottled up for years and dying to run. However, I find the more discreet pedalling, tonal diversity, sharper polyphonic profile and warmer sonics characterising Mitsuko Uchida’s recent Philips recording more rewarding. Felix Muller’s annotations allude to Grimaud’s “new” Emperor interpretation without explaining why it is so, and ignore Jurowski altogether.