english press review - French Culturefrenchculture.org/sites/default/files/english_press_review.pdfShe is also a laureate of the Georges Cziffra Foundation in Senlis (France) and the

Hélène Tysman

Pianist

www.helene-tysman.com

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Hélène'Tysman''•''+33'1'41'93'71'76''•'[email protected]''•''[email protected]'"!

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Hélène Tysman • Pianist Summary Biography p. 3 An artist of our time p. 4 Echoes in the press p. 7 Critics from international competitions (2007, 2010) p. 9 CD Releases (2010, 2012, 2013/14) p. 10 Concerts 2014 - 2015 p. 20 Pluridisciplinary projects p. 21 Chamber music p. 24

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HELENE TYSMAN BIOGRAPHY Hailed as "poetic" by The Daily Telegraph, praised for her Chopin interpretation which "mixed excitement with eloquence" by the Gramophone Chopin Express, French pianist Hélène Tysman first broke onto the international music scene as a laureate of the 16th International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw. A few years earlier she had been awarded First Prize in the European Darmstadt Chopin Piano Competition (Germany) and was prizewinner in England (Newport International Competition for Young Pianists), Germany (Nauen International Piano Competition), China (Hong Kong International Piano Competition) and the United States (Minneapolis International Piano-e-Competition). She is also a laureate of the Georges Cziffra Foundation in Senlis (France) and the Chopin Foundation in Hanover. Her Chopin interpretations have been acclaimed by critics and audiences all over the world and led to the release of two Chopin recordings for Oehms-Classics (2010, 2013). After graduating from the Paris Conservatoire where she studied with Pierre-Laurent Aimard, she went to Vienna to work with Oleg Maisenberg and then to Germany (Hamburg and Weimar) where she obtained her master's degree under the guidance of Grigory Gruzman. As a soloist she has played with orchestras such as the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Russian Chamber Philharmonic St. Petersburg, the Minnesota Orchestra, the North Czech Philharmonic Teplice, and the Koszalin (Poland) Philharmonic Orchestra, with conductors such as Christopher Warren-Green, Mark Russell Smith and Antoni Wit. Her recital appearances have taken her throughout Europe and to Israel, Morocco, Russia and Asia, performing in prestigious concerts halls like the Laeiszhalle and Neue Weimarhalle in Germany and the Cité de la Musique and salle Gaveau in Paris. Highlights of Hélène’s future engagements include performances in China, Russia, Poland, Paris, Germany, collaborating among others with the Thühingen Philharmonic Orchestra and German actor Dominique Horwitz. She has been featured on the international arts television station Mezzo and is regularly invited on French national radio. A keen chamber musician, she released a Schumann recording with the soloists of Orchestre de Paris (Indésens Record, 2012). Drawn to wider artistic horizons, Hélène Tysman also collaborates with artists from other disciplines including a series of performances with the celebrated French actor Francis Huster (Chopin/Musset) and a Debussy/Poe show with the multi-disciplinary artist Yanowski. This show will tour all over the France in 2014-15 as a co-production of the Jeunesses Musicales de France.

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'Hélène Tysman • An artist of our time by Kevin Kenner I have had the opportunity to listen to pianist Hélène TYSMAN as a member of the jury during her participation in the most recent edition of the International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, Germany, where she was awarded the 1st prize. Hélène made a considerable impression on all of us on the jury from the onset of the competition. She has a highly individualised approach to the piano, with a unique sense of sound, color and rubato, sometimes reminiscent of the vivid performances of great pianistes earlier in the century. She demonstrated a full technical command of the instrument and a seasoned artistry that is unusual for a pianist of her young age. Hélène’s performance made an indelible impression on me, and I have no question that Hélène has a very bright future in music as a performer. I highly recommend her to any competition or institution that may support and further her ambitions. "

Kevin Kenner’s letter, as Chairman of the jury of the Chopin Competition in Darmstadt

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Hélène Tysman • An artist of our time by Pascal Rogé I heard Hélène Tysman during the 2d International Piano Competition of Hong Kong where I was invited as a member of the jury and I personally considered her as the most talented of all competitors. Apart form her flawless technique, I was particularly impressed by her musical ideas and her very personal approach of each piece she has played. She was very convincing with her musical interpretation and she was able to express her emotions with a highly sensitive, spontaneous and subtle style. I commend her very warmly and wish her the best for her career. I have no doubts she will be soon among the young stars of the international piano scene.

Pascal Rogé’s letter, as jury member of the international Hong-Kong Competition

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Hélène Tysman • An artist of our time Testimony by composer François Meïmoun, on the occasion of the first performance of his Piano Sonata No.1 (2011) Creative interpretation For a few years now, musicology has been taking an interest in the history of interpretation: the study of instrumental arrangements and performance conditions, and the analysis and comparison of recordings constitute a few of the main areas of investigation. In regards to musical interpretation, strictly speaking, researchers are examining the relation to the text and its variations from one artist to another, which they divide into two categories: On the one hand there are the literal performers whose ego bends unfailingly to the composer's demands, musicians who see themselves as readers of the musical thinking of others and absolutely faithful to the representation of the text and its author. On the other hand are the iconoclastic performers who knowingly bring the text to themselves, developing an assertive point of view, an original stand, a singular reading, like Glenn Gould tackling the late Beethoven sonatas. Hélène Tysman renounces neither of these two approaches, a conciliation that constitutes one of the singularities of her art. Nothing of the text is sacrificed, and the vision given of the work always turns out to be unexplored and original. Furthermore, the qualities of sound never sacrifice the architecture: the instant, like the large form, are at the same moment thought out and reproduced.

François Meïmoun

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Written press Süddeutsche Zeitung by Klaus P. Richter April 2011 Klangspezereien, the Art of sound The young pianist Hélène Tysman, in the small concert hall of the Gasteig (Philharmonie of Munich) Meticulous phrasing that is very convincing Munich – Concerning the six partitas of the collection Clavier-Übung I, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Johann Sebastian Bach's first biographer, wrote: 'Whoever has already learnt to correctly interpret a few pieces from this collection will be able to try his luck all over the whole…' This is still the case for present-day pianists, even though trying one's luck has become much more arduous, notably because, on the field of luck, there is strong competition amongst harpsichordists. This is one reason why Bach's highly virtuosic etudes are often used for the 'compulsory works' on the pianoforte. For her Munich debut in the small concert hall of the Gasteig, French pianist Hélène Tysman convinced with the delicacy of her phrasing in the Allemande and Courante from the Partita in B flat major BWV 825. In the Gigue, she demonstrated a martial rigour whereas in the Sarabande, the winner of the Chopin Competition showed her hand: finely coloured repeats, masterful playing full of refined sonorities. That was merely the prologue to a wild headiness and the highpoint of the evening: Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit. With grace, the French musician demonstrated her admirable talent in the three large fantasies, not only with her nervous, Impressionistic sound colours but also her powerful peaks, fortissimo, with virtuosity pushed to its extreme. Thus, the third fantasy in particular, turned into a bravura piece. Miraculously, at that moment, the lower high notes of the Steinway were no longer flashy. With similar musical latitude, Chopin's 24 Preludes were transformed into a pianistic cosmos. Three encores included a romantic impression by Paul Ben-Haim; born in Munich under the patronymic of Paul Frankenburger and a former assistant to Bruno Walter and Hans Knappertsbusch. """""

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LISZT Magazine by Jan Kreyßig Octobre 2012 Pianist Hélène Tysman was a finalist at the Warsaw competition. She is now on the threshold of her career. Making the Piano Sing She made it to the finals. Pianist Hélène Tysman compelled recognition in the highly prestigious Frédéric Chopin International Piano Competition in 2010 in Warsaw, ahead of 300 participants, convincing a high-level jury with jurors such as Martha Argerich, Fou Ts’ong and Nelson Freire. The 29-year-old Frenchwoman did not obtain a first prize but an Honorary Distinction Prize, thereby finding herself on the same footing as previous prizewinners Krystian Zimerman and Rafał Blechacz. Not so long ago, she was studying in the class of Professor Grigory Gruzman at the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt in Weimar. In May 2012, she passed her concert exam with brio, interpreting Ravel's Concerto for the Left Hand, accompanied by the Hochschule's symphony orchestra at the Weimarhalle. In an interview with Jan Kreyßig, author of LISZT-Magazine, Hélène Tysman speaks to us about the influence of her professors, the right way of working and her projects, including various disciplines. JK: Pierre-Laurent Aimard, a pianist specializing in Messiaen's work, was one of your professors. What did you appreciate about him? HT: I first studied chamber music with Pierre-Laurent Aimard at the Paris Conservatoire, and that filled me with enthusiasm. Then, I took classes with him for a year at the Musikhochschule in Cologne, a good initiation in the contemporary piano repertoire. I learnt a great deal about instrumental technique and his conception of sonority [...]. JK: You followed Grigory Gruzman to Weimar... HT: Yes. It was very valuable for me to do the concert diploma here in Weimar and have the opportunity to perform as soloist with orchestra. [...] I really owe very much to Professor Grigory Gruzman! At his side, this apprenticeship was not only musical but also human. At a given moment, you perhaps have all you need technically and know exactly what you want to do – and yet, you lack the necessary confidence, the fact of daring to go all the way in things. Grigory Gruzman was an extremely important support for me and almost always accompanied me to competitions. Furthermore, his fascinating piano technique allows for playing without constraints, for expressing yourself without limits, and feeling totally free. [...] JK: In what way do you count on imposing yourself on the international market? HT: [...] Since I made the decision two years ago to no longer participate in competitions, I feel much stronger onstage as an artist. On the one hand, I have more freedom, and on the other, I feel greater responsibility facing the audience. For example, over the past year I have been developing some pluridisciplinary projects such as Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest: I play Debussy preludes while the magnificent actor Yanowski recites Edgar Alan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher. It's a stage production, meant for concert halls and theatre stages. [...] Every Debussy prelude has so many details, so many colours, that it is difficult, even for professional musicians, to perceive all these sound nuances. Combined with Poe's music, the audience can give free rein to their imagination and receive the music in a different way [...]. JK: Do you have any models amongst the great pianists? HT: [...] Horowitz has always been an example for me. The way he managed to make the piano sing has always fascinated me. Glenn Gould also impressed me as a musician and not only for his interpretations of Bach. Amongst current pianists, I very much like Grigory Sokolov, who is incredible onstage. Also Keith Jarrett who, like Horowitz, knows so well how to make the piano sing.

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Critics from international competitions 16th Warsaw International Chopin Competition, 2010 « Among the unplaced finalists, I particularly admired the poetic playing of France's Hélène Tysman. » by John Allison in UK magazine The Daily Telegraph, 29 October 2010

Darmstadt International Chopin Competition, 2007 « […] The young Frenchwoman Hélène Tysman gave us a highly sensitive interpretation with very particular delicacy in the four concluding motifs of the work (Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. posth.). '[…] In the Mazurkas, Hélène Tysman managed to conduct her interpretation with marvellous elasticity and, at the same time, perfectly exact articulation. '[…] In the second round, Hélène Tysman pushed the positive impression of the first test even further: her Polonaise in F minor, phrased nobly and intelligently, and rendered with considerable inner peace, was, just as much as her two waltzes, a veritable balm for the ears. And with her interpretation of the Sonata in B flat minor, Op.35, full of drama and contrast, she again truly earned the audience's total admiration. '[…] In the Concerto, Hélène Tysman once again revealed herself in all her remarkable facets. '[…] The 8th International Chopin Competition concluded on 25 October with a superb concert of the winners. The competition winner, Hélène Tysman, literally fascinated the audience with a magical interpretation of the Sonata. » by Sontraud Speidel in the German magazine Piano News International Minnesota Piano Competition, 2009 « Tonight at 7:30, the final round of the Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition begins with the first three of our six finalists taking center stage. This time they'll be at Orchestra Hall with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Mark Russell Smith. On tap are two concertos by Rachmaninoff and the Piano Concerto #2 by Chopin. (…) Helene Tysman is from Paris and she'll play the Chopin tonight. Her face lit up when she told me how much she loves Chopin's music. That was clear in the opening round when she wowed the audience with her performance of the complete Preludes, Op. 28. There's little doubt in my mind that her concerto will be a highlight of the competition. by the Minnesota Public Radio’s classical music weblog, « Classical Notes »

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CD CHOPIN Released in May 2010 OEHMS-CLASSICS distributed by codaex Frédéric Chopin Sonata No.2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 (26’) 24 Préludes, Op. 28 (46’) www.oehmsclassics.de/cd.php?formatid=428&sprache=eng Press reviews: JOURNAL CONTADIN • favourite CD • 'Chopin and death' May 2010, no.3430 by Philippe Gut The composer's moods and torments are admirably reproduced here with a great sense of propriety and power that compel admiration. This is a fine programme proposed here by the young pianist Hélène Tysman, disciple of Bruno Rigutto and Pierre-Laurent Aimard, amongst others, and that is audible. Winner of numerous international competitions, she now travels all over the world. She must be discovered in this CD devoted to Chopin, whose bicentenary is being celebrated [this year]. With infallible technique, she easily masters two formidable monuments, at the same time demonstrating great sensitivity: nothing less than the Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, famous for its well-known Funeral March, but the whole work is a musical meditation on death. It is contemporary with the 24 Preludes that Chopin wrote in part during his sombre stay in Majorca: The composer's moods and torments are admirably reproduced here with a great sense of propriety and power that compel admiration. Top Audio.fr April 2010 by Yvette Canal Coincidence of the calendar? It is during a period of national mourning in Poland that this CD has been released, containing Frédéric Chopin's Sonata No. 2, called the 'Funeral March', as well as his 24 Preludes. They are masterfully interpreted by the young Hélène Tysman, following a precise, intelligent rereading of the original manuscripts. The Sonata in B flat minor, Op. 35, with its legendary third-movement Funeral March, is played fairly slowly and soberly here, whereas the fourth, Presto, is a sort of flight into madness. For the Preludes, Op. 28, Hélène Tysman has chosen to play them as close as possible to what Chopin wrote, to rediscover the composer's spirit of exceptional modernity, avoiding outbursts that, albeit spectacular, are irrelevant and to which certain performers, even those not to be ignored, have subjected them over the years. In all, a prodigious result that puts us in contact with the composer himself.

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BBC NEWS MAGAZINE May 2010 Interviewed by Maïa Brami Hélène Tysman, A first Chopin CD that is a prelude to the best! A power that emanates from her playing and her great delicacy at times... A dazzling interpretation On the occasion of the release of her first CD for OEHMS Classics, the young pianist Hélène Tysman confides in us. The winner of numerous international competitions, in 2007 precisely, she won 1st Prize at the International Chopin Competition, thus drawing the attention of certain specialists such as Vladimir Ashkenazy. 'It would seem,' she informed me, 'that Chopin loathed writing and found it pointless to expound in explanations about his works.' This conversation will therefore, I hope, do her justice, using words above all to make one want to listen to his music - through Hélène's dazzling interpretation - and to shatter the clichéd label of a sentimental composer that he is saddled with. MB: What struck me in your recording is both the power that emanates from your playing and its great delicacy at times… HT: You know, it's not a matter of physical strength. Recently, I played in a large hall with orchestra, and the sound projected easily, and it was really enjoyable. At the end of the concert, a friend remarked: 'How can such a slip of a girl produce such a tremendous sound?' Whereas that has nothing to do with it. It just comes down to letting go all your energy — like an opera singer — and that's what I love. [...] MB: Let's talk about the choice of works: the Sonata No.2 in B flat minor and the 24 Preludes… HT: [...] The combination of the Sonata, very compact, with the 24 Preludes is interesting because the Preludes — a youthful work — foretell Chopin's whole oeuvre, and we again find echoes of it in the Sonata. [...] MB: Do you function by synaesthesia: do you associate notes with real colours? Is there a story in your head when you play or is it totally abstract? HT: I don't really have a story but a more or less abstract image. It can start from a feeling and result in an image or a colour. There are always colours when I learn works, and especially with Chopin, who is the master. Without him, for example, Debussy would not exist. Sometimes, I need a story, as, for example, for the Sonata's funeral march. But I couldn't put it into words. [...] MB: Chopin's music is often associated with a certain sentimentality, an exacerbated, somewhat kitsch Romanticism, but your interpretation goes in the opposite direction of this cliché… HT: Certainly, Chopin is romantic, but why want to make this pleasant salon music at all costs? Granted, he was elegant and refined, but one forgets his modernity. If you study his scores in detail, you notice daring, violent things, yet one remembers about Chopin only his fragility and the fact that he couldn't play loud. [...] There is a real modernity in Chopin, a modernity of writing, harmonics. I was reading just recently a text by George Sand on Delacroix, Chopin, and their search for colours. She herself used the word 'modernity'. Certain Preludes - number 14, for example, which is just carried, heavy, with the same writing over an entire page - in no way resemble the Chopin that some people think they know! As for his so-called lightness, it hides something tragic; even in certain waltzes: one senses the artist suffering. But if he is labelled 'romantic' because of that, one forgets that he opened the way for Impressionism!

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Schumann CD Released: October 2012 Indésens Record (INDE048) distributed by codaex Robert Schumann - 1849 Chamber music with winds Philippe Berrod, clarinet André Cazalet, horn David Gaillard, viola Alexandre Gattet, oboe Marc Trénel, bassoon Hélène Tysman, piano www.indesens.fr/index.php?art=66&th=56#descriptif Romances, Op.94 for oboe and piano (15’) Phantasiestücke, Op.73 for clarinet and piano (10’) Adagio & Allegro, Op.70 for horn and piano (6’) Stücke im Volkston, Op.102 for bassoon and piano (17’) Märchenerzählungen, Op.132 for clarinet, viola and piano (15’)

Press reviews:

Notre Dame January 2013 by Father Claude Ollivier A noteworthy disc. A programme that perfectly reflects Schumann's most intimate feelings in a warm version, radiant with truth. 1849: a difficult year for Schumann (deaths of his friend Mendelssohn in 1847 and Chopin in 1849, serious health problems and various professional disappointments) but an extraordinarily fruitful year, especially as regards chamber music with the appearance in his works of 'winds', which open up new horizons. This noteworthy disc brings together minor masterpieces such as the three Romances for oboe, Fantasies for clarinet, Three Pieces in Folk Style (Op.102) for cello and piano, Adagio and Allegro for valved horn, and Märchenerzählungen for clarinet, cello and piano. These short but extraordinarily polished compositions feature highly inventive and refined writing. All were composed in 1849 and are particularly well served by the commitment of soloists from the Orchestre de Paris, all representatives of the French winds school: Philippe Berrod (clarinet), André Cazalet (horn), Alexandre Gattet (oboe), Marc Trénel (bassoon), along with David Gaillard (viola) and accompanied on the piano by Hélène Tysman. A programme that perfectly reflects Schumann's most intimate feelings in a warm version, radiant with truth.

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Schumann CD On-TOPAudio.fr CD: Robert Schumann, 1849 - Chamber music with winds by Yvette Canal September 2012 Here is a very fine CD of Robert Schumann's chamber music with winds. This hardly surprises us on the part of this label, Indésens, where quality is more than customary. Here, six exceptional musicians (see the numerous articles about them in our columns) offer us five pieces that the hypersensitive Robert Schumann wrote in 1849, a difficult year for him that witnessed the symptoms of his mental illness seriously worsening. In all, a superb CD for a composer of extreme sensitivity and musicality. L’HEBDO - LE COMTADIN by Philippe Gut January 2013 Favourite CD Schumann and winds Whilst going through a painful period, Robert Schumann composed frenetically, as if to counter the difficulties of his life. This was the year 1849 (thus he was in his 39th year) that witnessed the birth of works rich and innovative in form as much as in the instruments used. That is attested to by this CD of chamber music with winds in which we hear pieces of great originality and fine construction, interpreted by exceptional musicians. You will hear soloists of the Orchestre de Paris such as Alexandre Gattet on oboe, Andre Cazalet, horn, Philippe Berrod, clarinet, and Marc Trénel, bassoon, joined by the excellent violist David Gaillard. All accompanied, or even borne, by a pianist, winner of many prestigious competitions, Hélène Tysman. That gives us a superb CD of extraordinary diversity.

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Radio reviews

FRANCE MUSIQUE

• 'Un mardi idéal' Arielle Butaux 26.02.2013 There was question of the latest news of Hélène Tysman in duo and trio with Philippe Berrod, clarinet, Alexandre Gattet, oboe and David Gaillard, viola. Live broadcast from the studio of Radio France of works by Robert Schumann (excerpts from the Phantasiestücke, Romances and Märchenerzählungen). • 'Le Magazine' Lionel Esparza 26.11.2012 Lionel Esparza in discussion with Hélène Tysman and Philippe Berrod, clarinet, concerning their Schumann CD (on Indésens, September 2012): 'This is a disc of chamber music, the great music of Schumann. We are going to hear you both in the Romance by Schumann, then in Märchenerzählungen, one of the rare trios for viola, clarinet and piano (with violist David Gaillard). These great cycles are inevitably incredible... the piano for all expressions!' • 'Plaisirs d’amour' Frédéric Lodéon 12.01.2013 Frédéric Lodéon receives Hélène Tysman in regards to concert and disc news. Frédéric Lodéon: Hélène Tysman recorded her first disc devoted to Chopin, this composer universally adored and loved. The audience was not mistaken: a magnificent performance of the waltz by Hélène Tysman. An admirable interpretation. FRANCE INTER • 'Les affranchis' Isabelle Giordano 19.06.2012 There was question of Hélène Tysman's news in duo with Philippe Berrod, clarinet - Live broadcast from the studio of France Inter of Schumann's Romance - Announcement of the Schumann concert in the framework of the Festival des Forêts - Announcement of the release of the Schumann disc (on the Indésens label, September 2012).

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CD CHOPIN (vol.2 / Ballades) Release on January 2014 Label: OEHMS – CLASSICS Distributor in France: Abeille Musique Distributor in USA: Naxos

Program

! 4 Ballades, Opp.23, Op.38, Op.47, Op.52 (35’)

! Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op.61 (12’)

! Mazurkas, Op.24 (10’)

! Barcarolle, Op.60 (8’)

! Nocturne, Op.9 n°3 (7’) CREATIVE(INTERPRETATION(An(encounter(with(Chopin((The$earth$revolves$around$the$sun,$And$every$day$the$light$from$the$sun$Hits$the$earth$at$a$different$angle$Paul!Auster!

!

One!evening,!when!getting!ready!to!record!a!

new!disk!of!Chopin,!I!felt!the!desire!to!let!

him!speak.!What!an!idea!!All!the!same,!half!

sleep!walking,!I!went!ahead…!

At!the!corner!of!a!piano!scattered!with!

manuscripts,!there!was!no!doubt!that!the!

interview!might!be!very!short.!I!knew!the!

reputation!of!the!great!man.!His!

temperament!was!as!intense!as!his!work,!I!

had!been!told.!And!I!could!see!that!he!was!

composing…!

!

FC:!Mademoiselle!…!Tysman?!I!see!that!you!

can’t!resist!the!desire!to!discover!the!key!to!

my!compositions.!

HT:!Your!scores!give!an!awful!lot!away!

about!the!key!to!your!work,!Monsieur!

Chopin!!

FC:!You’re!thinking!of!my!Black$Key$Étude?!HT:!Don’t!dodge!the!question!!Your!

contribution!as!a!pianist!goes!much!further!

than!those!few!movements.!I!was!warned!

that!you!liked!wordLplay.!

FC:!Alright,!so!what!do!you!want,!

Mademoiselle?!

HT:!To!talk!to!you!about!how!I!approach!

your!music.! (excerpt of the text by Hélène Tysman for the CD booklet)

From the Press 'Fine work, the confirmation of an undeniable talent. An admirable disc', L’Education musicale, January 2014

Frederic CHOPIN (Vol. 2: Ballades): Ballades, 4 Mazurkas Op.24, Barcarolle Op. 60, Nocturne Op. 9 no.3, Polonaise-Fantasy Op 61. Hélène Tysman, piano. 2CDs OEHMS Classics: OC 894. TT: 41’44+41’55 Second recording by the young pianist Hélène Tysman devoted to Frederic Chopin, a double album in the form of an inner journey: a timeless wandering, the occasion for in-depth reflection on what characterizes interpretation and the relations it can maintain with the composition, in a perpetual re-creation. Moreover, Hélène Tysman has discussed this subject at length with Chopin himself, before offering us this recording! After the 24 Preludes and the Sonata No. 2 in 2010 (see NL, 5/2010), today it is the four Ballades blending into a broader harmonic stroll, comprising a selection of mazurkas, the Barcarolle, a nocturne and the Polonaise-Fantasy, which are proposed to us in a continuous unfolding, attesting to a long-standing, profound familiarity with this composer. An interpretation characterized by its sombre clarity, its fiery delicacy, its melancholy sweetness, between exaltation and suffering, between passion and abandon. Fine work, the confirmation of an undeniable talent. An admirable disc. Patrice Imbaud

'Another significant discovery of Chopin, a surprising opening. The "singing" of Hélène Tysman's keyboard is a revelation.' Disc of the month on Grey-Panthers, January 2014 Here is Hélène Tysman's second recording devoted to Chopin, and once again, a Chopin in whose music – equivocally known (which we believe we know, from the numerous times that we have listened to it) – we can still discover significant and surprising openings. Perhaps, too, by the structuring of the programme of these two CDs in which the 4 Ballades are not played one after the other but alternate with four mazurkas, the Barcarolle Op.60, a nocturne and the Polonaise-Fantasy Op.61, and the diversity of atmospheres, frames of mind and horizons is revealing of the depth and unexpected perspectives, like the literary inspiration of at least three of the four Ballades, inspired by the lyric poetry of Adam Mickiewicz. But, and above all, there is the 'singing' of Hélène Tysman's keyboard, the artisan of this revelation. Like the flight of a great seabird, borne by mysterious, invisible currents, of which the pianist intuitively understands all the secrets, letting herself be carried along in a charming design, especially because, beyond the obvious elegance, the hidden architecture comes through. Then suddenly, to this invisible, hidden force is added the decisive beating of the wing, the unique, incomparable impulse that reveals to us a Chopin who knows how to be silent as well as passionate, in an approach that is attentive more than blindly involved, without any of this blathering that, too often, makes Chopin unbearable. P.S.: Who knows why Hélène Tysman, who manages to be light without being superficial, had herself illustrated on the cover of her disc, walking in equilibrium, arms widespread, on the narrow rail of a tramway, between the red of cars' stoplights on the left and the yellow of the leaves of hornbeams (?) on the right. The brilliant idea of a photographer lacking in inspiration? The fact is that nothing in the serene, mature interpretation evokes or makes us think of a painful progression on the rigid line of an obbligato beat.

Ferruccio Nuzzo

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Chopin Vol. 2 Ballades On the Radio

FRANCE MUSIQUE

• Le Magazine Lionel Esparza 29.10.2013 Lionel Esparza conversed with Hélène Tysman concerning her disc Chopin Vol.2 Ballades and the theatrical show Une Nuit chez Musset with Francis Huster at Salle Gaveau. • Changez de disque Emilie Munera 27.11.2013 Emilie Munera presented new releases, recalling that the double-CD set was awarded a 'Pianiste Maestro'. • La Matinale Jean-Michel Dhuez 27.11.2013 Jean-Michel Dhuez presented new releases. FRANCE INTER • Le Carrefour de Lodéon Frédéric Lodéon 11.11.2013 Frédéric Lodéon received Hélène Tysman regarding her latest concert and disc news. FL: 'These Ballades are magnificent. At the end of the 2nd Ballade there is magnificent anger. These four Ballades are monuments!' RADIO CLASSIQUE • Tous Classiques Christian Morin 07.11.2013 Announcement of the disc's release and a contest enabling listeners to win tickets for her show at Salle Gaveau.

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FREQUENCE PROTESTANTE • Point d’Orgue Marc Portehaut 07.11.2013 Marc Portehaut received Hélène Tysman regarding her latest concert and disc news. MP: 'This disc that is being released today also includes a booklet with an interview entitled "Creative interpretation: a meeting with Chopin", and it is a thoroughly delightful dialogue that I shall let you discover on the occasion of the disc's release and which is absolutely fascinating.' IdFM Radio Enghien • Ballade Musicale Bernard Ventre 04.11.2013 Bernard Ventre received H. Tysman live regarding her latest concert and disc news. RADIO SHALOM • Classicorama Frédéric Hutman 22.02.2014 Frédéric Hutman welcomed H. Tysman live to discuss her latest concert and disc news. FH: 'Hélène Tysman, you have chosen essential works by Chopin for this recording. [...] We end with a summit among summits that you recorded for Oehms Classics, the 4th Ballade in F minor: pure genius.' Pianiste Magazine: 'A superb disc,' Pianiste, November 2013 A composer of the moment The pianist releases a Chopin disc revealing a strong personality. Ballade and balade ('walk') - thus, a vagrancy, a hike, a journey and a tour... Few (we mean 'young') artists have this ease of knowing where they are going and the ability to thereby characterize, in a continuous progression, the four 'temples' of Chopin: his Ballades. The nocturne, Polonaise-Fantaisie, Barcarolle and mazurkas are certainly not digressions played nonchalantly; quite the contrary: each piece inserted into the following becomes a sort of variation, a Polish composer's Pictures [at an Exhibition]. The most intimate details have been thought out, such as these perfect counter-melodies. This programme would only be meticulous if it did not also reveal a strong personality. Indeed, one believes the smooth, flowing expression whilst in the piano smoulders, in turn, a burning passion, the mask of suffering, the discreet lament (Barcarolle, Ballade No.4...). Consequently, this is very great Chopin, extremely well articulated but also intensely felt. We tell ourselves that, in concert, we rarely find a piano better tuned, and it is nothing to hope that, on an instrument more fragile, if not banal, Hélène Tysman would go even further in the atmospheres and take more risks. A superb disc.

Stéphane Friederich

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Concerts in 2014 & 2015 2014 16 januar : Debussy/Poe show ‘Ce qu'a vu le Vent d'Ouest’ with Yanowski (JMF tour) 20-23 january : Recording session with horn player David Fernandez Alonso CD to be released for the label Indesens Record 25 february : Piano recital in Russia (Samara) 26 february : Piano recital in Russia (Tolyatti) 28 february : Piano récital in Poland (Biblioteka Rolnicza Hall, Warsaw) 16 march : Piano recital in Germany (Altenburg halle, Weimar) 21 march : Debussy/Poe show ‘Ce qu'a vu le Vent d'Ouest’ with Yanowski (JMF tour) 22 march : Piano recital in Germany (Centralstation Hall, Darmstadt) 3 may : Piano récital in Princeton 6 may : Piano récital in New York (French Consul) 7 may : Piano recital in Philadelphia (Steinway Hall) 15 & 16 mai : Debussy/Poe show ‘Ce qu'a vu le Vent d'Ouest’ with Yanowski, (Théâtre de l’Arrondi, Eure-et-Loire, France) 12 july : Concert in Germany with actor Dominique Horwitz (Wartburg, Eisenach) 6-17 November : Concerts tour in China 2015 8 januar : Concert in Germany (Gotha) with the Thürigen Philharmonic Orchestra (Ravel G Major concerto)

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Pluridisciplinary projects: 'Ce qu’a vu le vent d’Ouest' (What the West Wind Saw) Born of a desire to explore Debussy through his literary and fantastic influences, and of seeking a new form between music and text by what the universe of Poe inspires, this project stages a pianist and an actor. In the course of the story of The Fall of the House of Usher, the composer's symbolism comes to light, and the author's poetry opens the imagination to the spectator's deployed senses. Lights and shadows participate in this synaesthesia while dramatic tension is woven between the two characters…

'Poe versus Debussy, between visible and invisible: immersed in the crossing of two "fantastic" universes. Hélène Tysman offers the sweetness and poetry of her playing to Yanowski of the Cirque des Mirages, who marks a text of rare intensity with his voice and presence. A top quality literary and musical experience!'

JMF Presentation (documentation available on request)

Hélène Tysman, piano Yanowski, actor Sonia Jacob, director Sébastien Husson, scenography and production Edgar Allan POE (1809 –1949) The Fall of the House of Usher (approx. 30') Claude DEBUSSY (1873 – 1943) Preludes, books I & II (approx. 40')

! La Cathedrale engloutie ! Des pas sur la neige ! Voiles ! Ondine ! Ce qu’à vu le vent d’ouest ! La fille aux cheveux de lin ! La terrasse des audiences du clair de lune ! Canope ! Feux d’artifice

Total playing time: 80’

Dates of this programme:

" Reid Hall, Paris - 23 February 2013 - 8pm " French tour 2013-14 in co-production with the Jeunesses Musicales de France and

the Oreille à plumes company.

www.facebook.com/DansLaMaisonUsher

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Pluridisciplinary projects: « Une Nuit Chez Musset » Francis Huster, actor Hélène Tysman, piano A show premiered for the opening of the 2012 Nohant Festival Frédéric CHOPIN (1810 – 1849 ) Alfred de MUSSET (1810 – 1857) Frédéric Chopin Ballade n°1 in G minor op. 23 Alfred de Musset La Confession d'un enfant du siècle Frédéric Chopin Ballade n°2 in F major op. 38 Alfred de Musset Lorenzaccio (Monologue) Frédéric Chopin Barcarolle op. 60 Alfred de Musset Les Caprices de Marianne (Octave) Frédéric Chopin Ballade n°3 in A flat major op. 47 Alfred de Musset On ne badine pas avec l'amour (Perdican) Frédéric Chopin Ballade n°4 in F minor op. 52 Alfred de Musset La Nuit de décembre Frédéric Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisy Op.65

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Concerts in Duo: Saténik Khourdoian, violin Hélène Tysman, piano

Press reviews: Classics of today March 2013 by Bruno Serrou Printemps des Arts de Monaco, Beaulieu, Salon de la Rotonde Lenôtre, Thursday 28 March 2013 www.printempsdesarts.com

For their first concert in duo, Saténik Khourdoian and Hélène Tysman performed Bartók's dazzling sonatas for violin and piano at Monaco's Printemps des Arts. It was to two young women musicians - the Marseillaise violinist Saténik Khourdoian and the Parisian pianist Hélène Tysman -, of approximately the same age as the dedicatee of Bartók's sonatas at the moment of their conception that composer Marc Monnet, director of the Printemps des Arts de Monaco festival, entrusted these two sonatas composed by a 40-year-old Bartók, in the framework of the Portrait that the festival devoted to the Hungarian creator. Both graduates of the Paris Conservatoire, they met round this Monegasque project. Yet, listening to them, they immediately appeared to be in phase, giving a reading full of poetry and contrasts, clearly bringing out the main themes, underscoring the contours and influences whilst instilling the character and density peculiar to Bartók. The luminous, warm playing, the precision of the violinist's bowing and fingering were reinforced by the pianist's ethereal touch, colourful and sure. Both musicians grasped as much the composer's inventiveness and originality, and his foundation in the land and in his time, instilling both clarity of line, modernity and extreme diversity of moods and expressive power.

Documents

english press review - French Culturefrenchculture.org/sites/default/files/english_press_review.pdfShe is also a laureate of the Georges Cziffra Foundation in Senlis (France) and the