“How to act in the face of the incomprehensible, the immeasurable? Closing your eyes without letting yourself be too distressed — remaining prostrate in a type of comfort only humans can experience? Or open them fully, at the risk of getting lost, of slipping into a stupor? The Hammerklavier Sonata surpasses all understanding. Facing it is one of the most frightening tests of a performer’s life. But it is as irresistible as it is insurmountable. To dare to embody it can only be an attempt to wrest the unfathomable from sound matter. Postponed many times, this recording was finally made possible thanks to the inspiring turmoil and the fascinating recess that the ​“Corona crisis” engendered.”

(Pierre-Laurent Aimard)