The photo of the final curtain call of the evening shows two musicians who look as if even they can barely believe their luck. Their delight at this successful debut performance is written all over their faces and they seem overwhelmed by the ovation – a wave of enthusiasm we can only imagine but which was mentioned in every review. All present agreed that they had experienced a unique display of artistic excellence! The duo repeated their success at the second concert the following day and it was decided on the spot that they should record the same repertoire for Deutsche Grammophon. The Duo album was released in 2012. A video made during the sessions in Essen reveals the level of musical understanding between the two artists, who were also able to discuss details of their interpretations, effortlessly, in no fewer than three different languages:
The story had begun, incidentally, with a phone call from Hélène Grimaud. In the summer of 2009, she happened to be in Gstaad at the same time as Sol Gabetta, and called the cellist one rainy Sunday afternoon when they were both free, to suggest that they get together and play some music. It quickly became clear there was a musical energy flowing between them that they wanted to explore further. Long-term commitments meant that two years passed before a shared concert date could be found – this new artistic partnership was of course destined to make its debut in Gstaad.
So the idea of working together was spontaneous, the additional live date the night before the planned recital was spontaneous and so too was the decision to make an album as a duo. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the cover photo resulted from a spontaneous change of plans.
The DG team had carefully searched out a suitable location for the photo shoot, booked it, hired a grand piano and devised a meticulously planned schedule. When the day came, however, photographer Mat Hennek decided to overturn these carefully made preparations and, instead of going to the prearranged location, took the two artists to visit a piano maker friend of his and did the photo shoot right there in the workshop. While the DG team were initially somewhat thrown by this unconventional approach, they had to admit his instinct had been right, for the wonderful photo he took of the artists speaks volumes about the special connection between them. Hennek’s atmospheric portrait, framing the pair between the piano and the workbench, surrounded by the tools of the piano maker’s trade, has a particularly animated and personal feel to it – maybe precisely because of the impromptu decision that lay behind it.
Persuading Hélène Grimaud to go along with the change of plan can’t have been difficult, as she and the photographer had often worked together by this time. The pianist’s characteristically intense gaze into the lens reflects her level of trust in the person holding the camera, as we can see from some of the other covers created by Hennek for Grimaud:
Hélène Grimaud’s bold and inquisitive nature isn’t only reflected in this initial collaboration with Sol Gabetta. She knew to expect the unexpected when in 2004 she put herself in the hands of renowned French photographer Sarah Moon for the cover shoot for Credo, her very first DG project.
For there is a certain unpredictability to Moon’s favoured method of working, with a large-format Polaroid camera, thanks to the complicated chemical processes involved in developing instant images. You can get an idea of this by looking at the photo which became the basis of the cover for Credo. Along the top edge you can see the streaks of emulsion created when the top layer was removed from the Polaroid, as well as some slight discolourations. But Moon’s wonderfully mysterious and enigmatic portrait of the artist proves it was more than worth taking a risk on the unexpected.
