Topic: What's with the Abbado-Grimaud dispute?

[Xenophanes]

Helene Grimaud wants to use the Busoni cadenza in a recording of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 for DG. Conductor Claudio Abbado wants to use the cadenza Mozart wrote.  Isn't this the prerogative of the soloist? What's with Abbado?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/arts/music/helene-grimaud-and-claudio-abbado-part-ways.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha28

[Szykneij]

Since, during a live performance, the conductor lowers his baton at the start of the cadenza and doesn't raise it again until the cadenza is complete, it sure seems like it should be the performer's prerogative.

[Marc]

No matter whose prerogative, they should have discussed this issue before even starting the entire project.
This goes especially for Abbado, since apparently it really mattered to him, which meant that in the end the Busoni alternative was unacceptable.

Btw: in general, not mentioning anything about cadenzas in the booklet is a bad thing. Credit where credit is due.

[karlhenning]

Helene Grimaud wants to use the Busoni cadenza in a recording of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 for DG. Conductor Claudio Abbado wants to use the cadenza Mozart wrote.  Isn't this the prerogative of the soloist?

Not so cut-and-dried.

[Harry]

They should have agreed before recording it.