Martha Argerich

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
An encounter with the searing artistry of Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich, as her fiercely loyal following attests, can resemble a conversion experience. Like her close friend Nelson Freire, Argerich takes a natural-sounding, unstudied virtuosity merely as her starting point, so that the most fearsome technical challenges emerge as thrillingly musical ones, as well.

In Argerich's landmark account of the Ravel triptych Gaspard de la Nuit, for example, you're almost tempted to forget what an Everest these pieces represent to the most intrepid virtuoso, so gripping are the poetic conjurings. Unpredictability and magnetic presence define Argerich's style, but not at the price of distortion. There isn't a track of filler on this collection, which displays Argerich's range from the glistening, mirrored surfaces of Ravel's Sonatine to a Rachmaninoff Third pushed to the breaking point and back again (in the legendary live recording with Riccardo Chailly--an essential performance of the work), as well as her extraordinarily immediate, vital Bach. Quick tempos and imaginative finger weightings convey personality without pointing away from the music. And in the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1, Argerich's visceral imagination can actually make the score sound better, richer in substance, than it is. One of the top-drawer collections in the entire Philips series, this set offers a portrait of an artist who will involve you in the passion of music making more deeply than you may have thought possible. --Thomas May

Tracks:

Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: I. Allegro maetoso
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: III. Largo
Piano Sonata No.3 In B Minor, Op.58: IV. Finale: Presto, non tanto
Mazurka No.36 In A Minor, Op.59 No.1
Mazurka No.37 In A-flat, Op.59 No.2
Mazurka No.38 In F-sharp Minor, Op.59 No.3
Nocturne No.4 In F, Op.15 No.1
Scherzo No.3 In C-sharp Minor, Op.39
Polonaise No.6 In A-flat, Op.53

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

Record-label politics prevented this awesome recording of Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich from being released for 34 years. The spitfire musician delivers a powerful set of Chopin's best-loved works that still sounds riveting today. Intense and gorgeous. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com essential recording

How can it be that a recording by one of today's indisputably unequaled pianists performing some of her prime repertory--made fresh within months of her triumph in the 1965 Warsaw International Chopin Competition--could languish for decades in the vaults before its official release? Chalk it up to the exclusivity clauses of rival recording companies and legal constraints from which not even Wotan with the help of Loge could extricate himself. Thankfully this belated EMI release--recorded in a few sessions at the Abbey Road studios--is finally available.

It's a significant complement to Argerich's other accounts of Chopin on disc. From the white-hot intensity of Argerich's way with the composer, you can easily extrapolate a sense of what had recently wowed the jury in Warsaw. The Argentinean pianist undertakes the Third Sonata as a vast, big-voiced, far-reaching statement that encompasses both molten power and moments of almost unbearably intimate lyricism (listen closely to her gestures of illumination in the Largo). With a characteristically unforced spontaneity, Argerich sounds the shattering chords that launch the finale (recorded in one take); her sense of flow in the Nocturne No. 4 is a perfect mesh for the illusion of improvising that is so central to Chopin. She commands the logic--both emotional and musical--of the composer's skittish turns in the Scherzo No. 3 and crafts three of the mazurkas into perfectly chiseled character pieces. The sheer force of Argerich's personality might seem overwhelming to those accustomed to a tamer Chopin--listen to how she dives into the A-flat Polonaise--but it's always at work dusting off tired clichés and uncovering the music's expressive wealth. For those who know about Argerich's artistry, this disc is indispensable; anyone who has yet to make that enviable discovery will find it (together with the Argerich anthology in Philips' Great Pianists series) a great place to begin. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Lost is Found, finally.......2007-07-08

This Argerich Chopin performance, recorded by EMI in 1965 while she was actually under contract to DG is formidable for an artist so early in her career. Both the artistry and sound are superb and it's a shame we fans had to wait so long for this recording to appear. These Chopin performances completely justify the competition judges decision to award her the grand prize at the 1965 Warsaw International Chopin Competition. It's a collection must have!

Martha Argerich CD.......2007-06-12

Excellent service -- speedy, just as described, well-packaged. I'd definitely buy from this seller again.

Fabulous recording.......2007-04-12

A most interesting history in the liner notes and a fabulous recording. One of the best for a piano CD collection.

Excellent.......2007-04-12

Only one word: Excellent.
Though someone might have different feeling, I'm crazy on this 1965 recording.

A restored jewel in the Argerich catalog.......2006-09-03

If I had to pick a single CD to win awed admiration for Martha Argerich, this Chopin recital would be it. Only 24 when she made these long-suppressed recordings, Argerich's musicality and dazzling technqiue defy belief. Every ounce of praise for her Third Sonata is deserved--it's spontaneous, flexible, intense, by turns tender and declamatory. The most blessed quality is that she doesn't bang or harangue us--not always the case in later years. Her sense of urgency doesn't become eckless; the bursts of excitment aren't oerly explosive.

My only caveat would be for audiophiles. Although an Abbey Road studio recording, you get the feeling somewhat that Argerich is performing in a boomy hall. Also, in the loudest fortes there's mircophone shatter. For many listeners these drawbacks won't matter a whit, not in the face of an undisputed keyboard genius.

Average customer rating:

Martha shows up
WOW! Absolutely stunning!
Undeniably Argerich
You have to listen to this Lizst sonata
Unbelievably Amazing...

Debut Recital / Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Toccatas | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Scherzo | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
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Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra
Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich

ASIN: B000001GQJ
Release Date: 1996-01-23

Tracks:

No. 3 C Sharp Minor, Op.39: Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op.39
Rhapsody, Op.79: No.1 Agitato In B Minor
Rhapsody, Op. 79: No. 2 Molto passionato, ma non troppo allegro In G Minor
Toccata, Op. 11
Jeux D'Eau: Tres doux
Barcarole In F Sharp Major, Op. 60
Hungarian Rhapsody No.6: Tempo Giusto - Presto - Andante - Allegro - Presto
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Lento assai - Allegro energico
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Grandioso
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Cantando espressivo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Pesante - Recitativo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Andante sostenuto
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Quasi Adagio
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Allegro energico
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Piu mosso
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Cantando espressivo senza slentare
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Stretta quasi Presto -- Presto -- Prestissimo
Sonata For Piano In B Minor: Andante sostenuto - Allegro moderato - Lento assai

Amazon.com essential recording

Classical music people, critics in particular, have a reputation for being grumpy, and this disc illustrates why. It's called Martha Argerich Debut Recital. Now, what does this tell you about it? Nothing, that's what. And the title isn't even correct! Actually, there's more material here than appeared on her debut recital, not the least of which is a stunning Liszt Sonata in B minor, which is the major work on the disc. When one of the two or three greatest living pianists turns in a performance of a major work like the Liszt Sonata that has been generally acclaimed, you would think that her record company would somehow get that piece of news into the title of the recording. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Martha shows up.......2007-07-22

If you are a piano afficionado, especially solo piano, you're gonna wanna hear Martha play.

WOW! Absolutely stunning!.......2007-01-16

I just bought this disc and was blown away by it. It was everything I thought it would be and then some. It has to be one of the great piano recital CDs of all time. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this.

Undeniably Argerich.......2006-11-08

Any one interested in knowing how piano should be played and can be played should get this CD. When I first heard the CD, I was surprised already by her debut recital Argerich has mastered such a distinctive style. I must disagree with the reviewer below who describe this as not imaginative, for nothing could be further from the truth. Argerich's playing is clearly her own, and no one else's. If one wants to hear a technically perfect but emotionally empty playing of Chopin, many of the newer artists would happily fill that bill. And for the record, Horowitz can make plenty of mistakes too, but that doesn't take the charm away from listening to his playing.
That being said, this is one of the most turbulent, drenching rendition of Chopin there is. I love it.

You have to listen to this Lizst sonata.......2006-07-05

Before this performance I thought that I did not like the sonata because no other pianist could keep its many parts and segments together from the beginning to the end. This is the only performance that does that for me. When I listened to it for the first time, I broke up in tears. Argerich's interpretation is mezmerizing. Buy it! Any serious music collector should have this CD.

Unbelievably Amazing..........2006-06-16

I've never paid attention to the Liszt Sonata until I heard this recording. I canNOT BELIEVE some people are calling her without soul or "muddy"... This is the single most inspiring and shocking CD. Really gives you chills when you listen to it. Makes your heart beat faster.

Martha Argerich and Friends: Live from the Lugano Festival, 2006

Average customer rating:

Lots of Schumann, not much Argerich, plus some real oddities

Martha Argerich and Friends: Live from the Lugano Festival, 2006

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Haydn: Piano Sonatas
Martha Argerich and Friends Live from the Lugano Festival 2005: Chamber Music
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Volodos Plays Liszt

ASIN: B000PFU9OM
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

I: Sostenuto Assai/Allegro Ma Non Troppo
II: Scherzo: Molto Vivace
III: Andante Cantabile
IV: Finale: Vivace
I: Allegro Assai Vivace
II: Allegretto Scherzando
III: Adagio
IV: Molto Allegro E Vivace
I: Zart Und Mit Ausdruck
II: Lebhaft, Leicht
III: Rasch Und Mit Feuer

Tracks:

I: Mit Energie Und Leidenschaft
II: Lebhaf, Doch Nicht Zu Rasch
III: Langsam, Mit Inniger Empfindung
IV: Mit Feuer
I: Introduzione: Adagio Mest/Allegro
II: Scherzo
III: Largo
IV: Finale: Allegro Vivace

Tracks:

I: Nauges
II: Fetes
I: Andante
II: Allegretto
III: Largo
IV: Allegretto Scherzando
I: Overture
II: Idylie
III: Cadenza
IV: Menuet
V: Finale Alla Marcia

Amazon.com

This inexpensively priced 3-CD set of music from the 2006 Lugano Festival with pianist Martha Argerich at its center presents a fascinating cross-section of chamber music, expertly performed. In addition to Argerich, we hear from 15 other instrumentalists - pianists, cellists, violinists, violists, a flugelhorn player (who plays along with Argerich in three of Schumann's Fantasiestücke, to very strange and not very welcome effect), and a wind ensemble made up of members of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana that plays with cellist Gautier Caupcon in Friedrich Gulda's Concerto for Cello and Wind Orchestra: a jazzy, definitely eclectic, and playful finale to the third CD. The infrequently played but rapturous Schumann Piano Quartet is a particular treat. Ravel's transcriptions of two Debussy Nocturnes for two pianos played by Sergio Tiempo and Karin Lechner are a delight as well. This is an off-the-beaten-track collection that will fascinate true devotees of chamber music. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Schumann, not much Argerich, plus some real oddities.......2007-06-08

EMI has gotten into the pleasanat habit of issuing a 3-CD bargain box of Martha Argerich's summer music from Lugano, and they are caviar for chamber music lovers, mixing familiar and unfamiliar works in sterling live performances. It's hard to think of any comparable series meeting such high standards since the heyday of the Marlboro Festival under Rudolf Serkin in the Fifties and Sixties. This 2006 edition is no exception, my only disappointment being the absence of Argerich herself in so many works. She even gives up her place in the two-piano arrangement of Debussy's Nocturnes to her protege Sergio Tiempo (she has been a long-time devotee, if not addict, of two-piano arrangements that almost every other serious musician eschews).

The dominance of works by Schumann reflects Ms. Argerich's personal fondness for him, and she appears in the Piano Quartet, which has enjoyed a wonderful, highly personal reading by Glenn Gould and the Juilliard Qt. (Sony), among others. This one displays every virtue of live musicmaking, with Argerich's fervent, spontaneous playing leading the way. Compared to earlier sets, the 2006 collection contains more rarities and because of all the sSchumann, less representation by great composers. The flugelhorn arrangement of Schumann's Fantasiestucke for clarinet sounds like a joke. The once unknown Tanayev Piano Quintet gets a committed reading that should help to boost its popularity. The Debbusy Nocturnes actually bring pleasure in the two-piano arrangement. You won't be prepared for Gulda's concerto for Cello and Piano, which sounds like three-beer night at your local German jazz club. But its worth a smile and a listen.

In the end, however, this installment might be best left to connoisseurs while newcomers to Argerich's summer festivities should begin with the earlier, more conventional editions.

Here's the listing of works and personnel since Amazon doesn't supply it:

Martha Argerich / Renaud Capucon / Lida Chen / Gautier Capucon - Piano Quartet in Eb op.47 (Schumann).

Gautier Capucon / Gabriela Montero - Sonata for cello and piano No.2 in D op.58 (Mendelssohn).

Sergei Nakariakov / Martha Argerich - Fantasiestucke op.73 - version for flugelhorn and piano (Schumann).

Nicholas Angelich / Renaud Capucon / Gautier Capucon - Piano Trio in D minor op.63 (Schumann).

Lilya Zilberstein / Dora Schwarzberg / Lucy Hall / Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg / Jorge Bosso - Piano Quintet in G minor op.30 (Taneyev).

Sergio Tiempo / Karin Lechner - Three Nocturnes : Nuages / Fetes (Debussy transcribed for two piano Ravel).

Alissa Margulis / Polina Leschenko - Sonata for violin and piano No.1 (Schnittke).

Gautier Capucon / Alexander Rabinovich-Barakovsky - Concerto for cello and windband (Gulda).

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23

Average customer rating:

WONDERFUL rendition of Rach 3
Quite simply the best Rach 3 I've heard
A mess
Absolutely fantastic CD
Martha Argerich: the only person who can make piano sing

Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra , Riccardo Chailly , Martha Argerich , Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky , and Kirill Kondrashin
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0000041DF
Release Date: 1995-08-15

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: 1. Allegro ma non tanto
Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: 2. Intermezzo. Adagio
Piano Concerto No.3 In D Minor, Op.30: 3. Finale. Alla breve
Piano Concerto No.1 In B Flat Minor, Op.23: 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso - Allegro con spirito
Piano Concerto No.1 In B Flat Minor, Op.23: 1. Andantino simplice - Prestissimo - Tempo I
Piano Concerto No.1 In B Flat Minor, Op.23: 3. Allegro con fuoco

Amazon.com essential recording

This is madness in action. Martha Argerich's Rachmaninoff Third is the fastest and most physically exciting you'll ever hear. She's recorded live, and the balances are a little strange as a result. You can also tell that Riccardo Chailly and his orchestra are having a hell of time trying to keep up with her, while anticipating what she's about to do next--but so what? This is as close as you can come to an experience of spontaneous combustion, and survive. The Tchaikovsky is, if possible, even wilder, with quite a few missed notes. But with an artist like Argerich, you simply can't judge the performance one note at a time. So go ahead: live dangerously. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

WONDERFUL rendition of Rach 3.......2007-06-03

I haven't listened to all, as I so love Rachmaninov that its all I can do to get beyond him. Her rendition sounds so soulful and right on, the timing perfect or as close to as possible, its absolute heaven, and hell, as his music seems to be, to listen to it. I love it, always have, and was not at all disappointed by this cd. Highly Recommended.

Quite simply the best Rach 3 I've heard.......2007-03-29

Blindingly fast - I can only imagine the hand cramps she had afterwards! Simply amazing.

A mess.......2007-03-17

I have the utmost respect for Argerich both as a pianist and as an artist. As talented and gifted as she is, it's her sense of engagement and commitment that never fails to elicit admiration and awe in me. Her readings are so overwhelming and passionate that one often gets the impression that her life is dependent on whatever she happens to be playing. On the right day, she's able to draw the most riveting and powerful sounds from the piano and conjure up the deepest and strongest feelings that one can experience by listening to a piece of music. More often than not, however, haste and anxiety get the best of her and what was intended to be an engaging performance ends up being a chaotic and incomprehensible gathering of notes. Therein lies the main problem with her rendition of Rachmaninov's third piano concerto: it lacks structural integrity and the blurred articulation often results in missing, indistinct or simply wrong notes. She fares better in Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto, though not so much so as to avoid the aforementioned shortcomings. Definitely not a good buy. Hyperion has recently released a wonderful live performance by Stephen Hough of the four Rachmaninov's piano concertos. The sound is pristine and the playing is top quality. This recording is to be preferred over Argerich's.

Absolutely fantastic CD.......2007-01-13

If you appreciate the piano, the performance by Martha Argerich will blow you away. The woman is absolutely amazing. This is one of my favorite CDs and I recommend it for anyone who wants to hear a master at work.

Martha Argerich: the only person who can make piano sing.......2006-09-16

At first I was disappointed. Then, listening through a pair of $99 headphones, I was totally captivated, from the start. Up close listening does make a difference! I must say that, after listening to so many of Martha's recordings and reading so many reviews (even from professionals) about her, nobody has picked up one unique trait of Martha's playing against all other great piano players' (including Horowitz, whose playing is more philosophical than musical to me), namely, Martha's reading of music is holistic, or three dimensional, or whatever you want to call it. It is as if she were an architect, an architect of tonal structures. In every pieces of music she plays (esp. solos), you sense a structure. She renders every passage with a view to the whole piece. Whereas if you listen to other pianists (including Horowitz), every passage is to be contrasted only with the one before and the one after, never the whole piece. It is as if other pianists were bound by the flow of time and could not jump beyond the constraint and see the whole picture (this is what I call two dimensional). Anyway, I alway like to tell people that Martha is the only person who can make piano sing. She is the only person who can make piano weep. And she plays as if her life depends on it.

Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Readings that combine imagination, charisma, and incredible technique
Argerich - the finest
Majestic grandeur & quiet intimacy
beautiful recording
Definition of self-recommending?

Chopin, Liszt: Piano Concertos / Martha Argerich, London Symphony Orchestra

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich
J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

ASIN: B000001GS1
Release Date: 1996-09-17

Tracks:

Concerto #1 in E minor: Allegro Maestoso
Concerto #1 in E minor: Romance, Larghetto
Concerto #1 in E minor: Rondo, Vivace
Concerto #1 in E flat:Allegro maestoso
Concerto #1 in E flat:Quasi Adagio
Concerto #1 in E flat:Allego marziate animato

Amazon.com

There has never been a more exciting pianist that Martha Argerich. Throughout her career, any appearance by her guarantees sellout crowds and an evening of memorable, not to say insane, music making. She has always drastically limited her repertoire--about a dozen concertos, a few more solo and chamber works--and will not perform or record solo recitals at all any more. But every single thing that she has recorded is a prime recommendation, plain and simple. She's one of the very few artists whose recordings one should collect just because of whom she is: unique and incomparable. These two concertos perfectly illustrate her gifts as an interpreter. Your ears will be glued to your speakers. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Readings that combine imagination, charisma, and incredible technique.......2007-02-25

Is the ever comical David Hurwitz doing Argerich any good by saying that a more exciting pianist has never existed (has he heard Liszt in person)? Or that every one of her recordings is a prime recommendation (come now)? We get the idea that he likes the layd. These relatively early recordings of the Chopin and Liszt First Concertos are a pendant to her Prokofiev and Ravel with Abbado, two other brilliant recordings.

What makes me admire them is that neither work is first-rate, and both have achieved the status of tin-plated warhorses. Therefore, it takes something special to hold one's attetnion. Abbado's conducting is fine but not eye-opening. Ms. Argerich is a different matter: she plays with wonderful imagination and originality. There's barely a measure of music that doesn't sound new; she has the amazing ability to draw you into her own inner world, making you feel that you are eavesdropping on art in the making. Needless to say, all the essential flash and fire are also in place. Highly recommended

Argerich - the finest.......2007-01-12

Everything Martha Argerich does is outstanding. She is the female equivalent of Horowitz

Majestic grandeur & quiet intimacy.......2005-11-22

Argerich and Abbado, both recording in their youth, in 1968, have perfectly captured both the majestic grandeur of the allegro movements and the quiet intimacy of the adagios in these two piano concertos. I was extremely pleased at the clarity of the sound, especially given that this is an analog recording made more than 35 years ago. The balance between the orchestra and the soloist is one of the best that I have ever heard on the several versions of the Chopin Concerto that I have. I thoroughly enjoyed the Liszt as well. Argerich's scintillating style is a sheer pleasure to listen to and Abbado brings out the very best of the London Symphony Orchestra. The two, orchestra and soloist, complement each other perfectly. The outstanding sound quality of this recording may in part be due to the fact that it was recorded at Wahthamstow Town Hall, in the outskirts of London. According to the CD notes, this recording location was specifically chosen because the hall's acoustics have a high reputation. Recommended without reservation, and with complete enthusiasm.

beautiful recording.......2004-04-17

I like Argerich's Rachmaninoff, so I thought to try her Chopin, and I was not disappointed. She plays the Chopin concerto with both verve and lilting melody. It is a delight to listen to. The orchestra is up to Argerich's standards, as is the quality of the recording. It was hard to believe that this was an analog recording from the 1960s. The music of the Chopin concerto was more to my taste than the Liszt, but I still liked it very much; they are a good pairing on the CD.

Definition of self-recommending?.......2000-12-16

In Argerich's selective discography, her Chopin stands out. She has performed this concerto many times, and recently recorded it digitally with Dutoit for EMI. I frankly don't see a whole lot to separate them -- both are infused with Argerich's unique combination of impetuosity and repose. This is a masculine Chopin, not some salon charmer, strongly chorded, and virile and glittering in passage work. I cannot think of any other pianist who has played this work with such individuality. Abbado, too, is an excellent accompanist, alert and intelligent, despite the distinctly minor role he has in proceedings.

The Liszt has similar virtues, with a marvellous sense of ebb and flow. It really stakes out the virtues of this work as an inventive composition of the first-rate, rather than hollow virtuosity. What's so good about the Argerich performance is that although she dominates the work, one still feels acutely a sense of struggle and spontaneity that seems absent from today's young lions. Again, well accompanied. Well recorded, too. If you can't find the Argerich collection, this disk is a mandatory acquisition.

Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich
Average customer rating:

treasured

Easily one of the finest releases of the Deutsche Grammophon catalog

Miraculous!

The young Argerich--fresh and completely without affectation

Beautiful rendition

Prokofiev, Ravel: Piano Concertos, etc / Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ravel, Maurice | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Prokofiev | Prokofiev, Sergei | ( P ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000001GQQ
Release Date: 1996-05-14

Tracks:

Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 1. Andante - Allegro
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 2. Thema. Andantino - Variations I. L'istesso Tempo - Var.2.Allegro - Var.3. - Allegro moderato - Var.4.Andantino meditativo - Var.5.Allegro giusto - Thema.L'istesso tempo
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester Nr.3 C-dur op.26: 3. Allegro ma non troppo
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 1. Allegramente
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 2. Adagio assai
Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester G-dur - In G Major: 3. Presto
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 1. Ondine. Lent
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 2. Le Gibet. Tres lent
Gaspard de la nuit - Trois poemes pour piano d'apres Aloysius Bertrand: 3. Scarbo, Modere

Amazon.com essential recording

This is the original Prokofiev/Ravel concerto coupling as it appeared on LP; the Prokofiev has also been coupled with the Tchaikovsky First Concerto. I prefer this edition since superb performances of the Ravel are less common. The young (1967) Martha Argerich plays the Prokofiev for maximum brilliance but leavens the Ravel with the composer's ironic lyricism. It's very effective. The bonus is one of the greatest performances of the Ravel piano suite ever recorded, but it leaves me wondering what will happen to the remainder of the original LP. All those solo Ravel pieces should be in the catalog; as Argerich plays them, they offer a primer on what keyboard color is all about. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

treasured.......2007-06-05

I won't go at length about this CD's every refinement, but the Adagio assai on ravel's concerto is easily the best I have ever heard. It is possibly the best collaboration between orchestra/conductor and the pianist of any work. Abbado and Argerich just clicked. It's magic. That does not come along often, even with the masters.

Easily one of the finest releases of the Deutsche Grammophon catalog.......2007-05-24

It's criminal that DG waited almost thirty years to reissue these excellent recordings as a compact disc edition. Never mind the middling late Karajan discs or all this overwrought Lang Lang tripe that they're defecating into mass-production these days - this 1967 release is the finest of many stunning collaborations between Argerich and Abbado at the distinguished helm of the BPO.

The first of the two piano concertos on this disc is Prokofiev's third, and it's undoubtedly one of the best of either Argerich's or Abbado's respective careers. The performance ebbs and flows naturally with note-perfect precision and vibrant (but never overstated), colorful dynamics. Argerich has a keen understanding of any composer's more playful sensibilities, which is why her intuition has always been especially keen when interpreting repertoire works that express such wit by the likes of Prokofiev. Cliché as it is, the only complaint that one could direct at this recording is that it's too short - after three thrilling, relatively brief movements, one is left breathless, but wanting even more. If a better performance of this work has been committed to disc, I'm not familiar with it. Argerich's 1998 recording (paired with Dutoit) is good but nowhere close to this, and the Prokofiev/Coppola recording available from Naxos suffers from the age and deterioration of its' source; given such a poor recording, many aspects of that terrific performance are impossible to evaluate.

The recording of the Ravel piano concerto is almost as thrilling as that of the Prokofiev concerto, and for all the same reasons. Both pianist and orchestra tackle the amusing inventions that Ravel invested in this remarkable piece. The three part form of the second movement is especially well navigated, something that can't be said of many other performances of this composition.

The expanded storage capacity of the CD format permits another recording in addition to the two of the original Prokofiev/Ravel LP: Argerich's amazing 1974 performance of Ravel's "Gaspard de la nuit." If any recording presents this composition as the one of the most difficult of the standard repertoire and Argerich as one of the finest pianists of her generation, it's this one. Both technically and expressively, it is almost incomparably superb, only surpassed by Pogorelich's brilliant equivalent. Argerich exhibits a curious insight pertaining to Ravel's unique, macabre adaptation of Bertrand's poem, and her execution of what Ravel called a "caricature of romanticism" does this insight justice. The speed and tonal color produced in her performance of the infamously difficult "Scarbo" movement is almost inhuman, and must be heard to be believed. This recording was originally released on LP along with numerous other excellent Ravel solo piano works such as "Valses nobles et sentimentales" and "Sonatine." Most of those other recordings are available on different DG compilations, and the inclusion of "Gaspard" succeeding the two concertos on this disc feels appropriate.

It should be mentioned that DG might regain some of its' straying audience if the label chose to reissue DVDs of the many excellent live performances and music videos that it released over the course of it's long and storied existence, instead of so many pointless, worthless, pretentious albums by pop star morons-turned-fake classicists like Sting and Elvis Costello. The music videos for this disc's recording of "Gaspard de la nuit" were especially interesting - curious little films that capably presented symbolist iconography related to the source material as well as video footage of Argerich's light-speed fingers. I've seen enough of these videos in poor quality on YouTube to know that a sufficient number of them exist to pad out a DVD that any sighted Argerich fan would be willing to view, and probably pay for.

Like most of the discs in DG's "The Originals" reissue series, the remastering of these recordings is adequate, but hardly exceptional. The original recordings of the concertos were a bit too bright (almost harsh), and the remastered versions fix this while rendering the soft passages a bit too subdued. Overall, this is a fair trade-off. At the cut price, you can't possibly go wrong with this phenomenal release.

Miraculous!.......2007-05-12

The collaboration between Argerich and Abbado is impressive. Argerich is at her best. A must for your classical collection.

The young Argerich--fresh and completely without affectation.......2007-02-25

The few complainers about this famous recording have slipped fra down the list here at Amazon, and what's striking is that the things they hate about Argerich (mannered phrasing, overly aggressive attack, rushing, banging) are the very things we don't get here. Ms. Argerich can display a reckless, hectoring style, but at her best--as here--she's full of imagination, wit, and an uncanny ability to see beneath the surface of the score.

I can only second everyone else's high praise for the Prokofiev and Ravel concertos, which are spellbinding, as well as for her Gaspard de la Nuit, which is staggeringly virtuosic and original. Abbado conducts with gusto and style, if not the greatest nuance, and only the somewhat dated sonics detract (marginally) from a recording that has remained in print for forty years.

Beautiful rendition.......2007-01-03

The piano concertos by Prokofiev and Ravel are played brilliantly and the quality of the recording is all right, though it could be better (which cost this recording a star). A real treat, both Argerich and the orchestra show great timing and dynamics.
Both sound and interpretation of Gaspard de la nuit do not match the recording by Alexandre Tharaud (Ravel: l'oeuvre pur piano). Still I wholeheartedly recommend this album.

J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

Average customer rating:

No hummer
Kevin Lee
Mystic crystal revelation, and the mind's true liberation
Dramatic infusion
Highest Recommendation for Bach on Piano

J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00004R7X0
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Amazon.com

A lot of pianophiles have been waiting for the reissue of this 1980 LP, Argerich's only Bach recording. She played the same Partita at her Carnegie Hall recital in the Spring of 2000, suggesting that she just doesn't play much Bach. These performances have the pianist's typical intensity of approach. Her fingers do the talking, with some dazzling clear articulation reminiscent of Glenn Gould on a good day, and she seldom blurs any of the textures. She also has a very good feeling for Bach's dance rhythms; the closing Gigue of the Partita makes you want to jump up and put on your dancing shoes. Argerich uses an unusually wide dynamic range for Bach, and some of the dreamy slow movements won't be to the taste of all listeners. Nobody, though, will be able to ignore these performances; while they are playing, they seem like the only way to do it. The 1980 sound is still fine, and although the disc is LP length (50 minutes), the price is right. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

No hummer.......2007-07-22

Do you think humming along with your piano playing is charming? If not try this recording by Martha Agerich--just the right amount of sostenuto. Also for the Partitas--Richard Goode is a must-have.

Kevin Lee.......2007-02-21

She was so wonderful. I highly recommend it to anyone is learning or being interested in Bach keyboard work.

Mystic crystal revelation, and the mind's true liberation.......2006-10-26

When Martha Argerich recorded this music in 1980 it must have been the Age of Aquarius. What a beautiful recording. Her rendition of Bach's Toccata BWV 911 surpasses any of Bach's keyboard music I've heard. Dubravka Tomsic's Toccata BWV 912 is also great, but Argerich's 911 is greater. Glenn Gould would have to come in third with these pieces.

Why is Argerich the best? Because she has heart. She plays with love of Bach and love of humanity. (This may be redundant.) Tomsic's precision is not without feeling, but Gould is not humane. He was a genius, of course, and he could make your mind dance. But Glenn Gould could not enter your heart nor the heart of Bach.

About four minutes into the Toccata Argerich plays the first of Bach's counterpoint passages on this disc and enters the realm of mystic crystal revelation. The space-time continuum is transcended. As time stands still Argerich and Bach create perfect forms of sound - nothing like the world mess and ourselves in it. Such transcendences occur frequently throughout this recording.

Martha Argerich was born in 1941 in Argentina . She was a child prodigy, playing the piano at age three and giving her debut concert at age eight. In 1965 she made her first recordings, including works by Chopin, Brahms, Ravel, Prokofiev and Liszt. Her technique has been described as "formidable" and has been compared to that of Vladimir Horowitz.

She has had a life-long aversion to the press and to publicity. As a result, she has remained relatively unknown to the general public. But to lovers of classical piano she is widely recognized as one of the great piano virtuosos of our time.

Just about the time of this Bach recording, Argerich frequently remarked that she felt "lonely" during solo performances. She then started focusing on orchestral and chamber music, accompanying instrumentalists in concertos and sonatas. This is her only solo recording of Bach. She performed one more recording of Bach, cello sonatas with Mischa Maisky, which is also excellent. These are her only two Bach recordings. They are priceless gems.

And love will steer the stars

Dramatic infusion .......2005-07-25

Given Martha Argerich's career, you would not expect Bach to be at the forefront - and it isn't - but when she put her mind to the Baroque master in this recording, the result was brilliant. Right from the opening first few bars of the C-minor Toccata, Ms. Argerich sets a tone of great excitement and anticipation of what is to come - and by the time she is into the great fugue, you realize you a hearing an exceptional approach to Bach. Her tone here is one of supreme confidence and a feeling of authority that brings to the imagination the historical images we have of Bach's daughting and larger-than-life keyboard playing.

Yet, a standard Argerich critique of "overdriving" the tempos does not seem to apply here as far as a negative effect. Even though her tempos are often quicker, they do not seem overdone, Romanticised or out-of-place but create a fresh excitement and dramatic infusion. After all, pieces like the toccatas were flamboyant works to show off the keyboardist's virtuosity and technique, and Argerich rises fully to that purpose (apparently disregarding Bach's tempo indications in places) and going all out - perhaps reminding us of the power of Bach's untouchable playing. While her aggressive (but quite interesting) approach to the noble-minded Courante might not bode well for some, she almost makes up for it with surprisingly tender and almost hypnotic sarabandes - movements in which she does seem to capture the subtle, inner qualities.

As much as I normally prefer Angela Hewitt's Bach recordings, I have to say I really like Martha's spunk and extravertness here even more at times - especially in the Toccata with her bold and confident galloping triplet rhythms that seems to nicely capture the free-spirited nature of this work (ditto for the Partita). This is superb music by any measure that is recorded in full, dynamic sound on DG. It is also really a historic recording for both Bach lovers and Argerich fans because it is some of the only Bach Ms. Argerich recorded. Judging from the 18/19 Amazon reviewers so far who gave this CD Five Stars, I would say this CD is a special treat to be savored.

Highest Recommendation for Bach on Piano.......2005-04-10

This recording would make an interesting blind listening test, given the pianist's reputation for passion. Those who assume Martha's Bach will be spoiled by romantic excess are in for a big surprise. This CD is as good as any Bach on piano I've ever heard, and rivals Savall's Art of Fugue as an essential Bach recording.

Like Glenn Gould, Argerich attempts to emulate a harpsichord on the piano, by limiting the pedals and variations in tone, volume, and rhthym. She is clear, dry, and imparts a fugue or dance movement with dazzling energy and control. The result is very consistent with authentic baroque interpretation, and more listenable to my ears than an actual harpsichord, which I prefer to hear in ensemble rather than solo.

Also recommended: Gould's French Suites (now on 1 CD), Bylsma's Cello Suites, Podger's Violin Sonatas, Pinnock's Harpsichord Concertos (DG Trio), and of course, Savall's Art of Fugue.

Average customer rating:

The big meeting at the summit--and it disappoints
Riveting Performance of Three Friends Playing a Live Concert
3 strong personalties, united here
Breathtaking
Astounding Fiasco

Shostakovich/Tchaikovsky: Piano Trios

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000JSAC
Release Date: 1999-08-10

Tracks:

Applause
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello No.2 In E Minor, Op.67: 1. Andante - Moderato - Poco piu mosso
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello No.2 In E Minor, Op.67: 2. Allegro con brio
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello No.2 In E Minor, Op.67: 3. Largo
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello No.2 In E Minor, Op.67: 4. Allegretto - Adagio
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: 1. Pezzo elegiaco: Moderato assai - Allegro giusto - In tempo molto sostenuto - Adagio con duolo e ben sostenuto - Moderato assai - Allegro giusto
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: 2. Tema con variazioni: Andante con moto -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 1 -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 2: Piso -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 3: Allegro moderato -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 4: L'istesso tempo (Allegro moderato) -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 5: L'istesso tempo -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 6: Tempo di Valse -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 7: Allegro moderato -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 8: Fuga (Allegro moderato) -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 9: Andante flebile, ma non tanto -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 10: Tempo di Mazurka -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Var. 11: Moderato -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Variazione finale e Coda: Allegretto risoluto econ fuoco -
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: [Coda.] Andante con moto -- Lugubre
Trio for Piano, Violin And Violoncello In A Minor, Op.50: Encore. Peter Kiesewetter: Tango pathque

Amazon.com

Although these musicians have previously played together in duos, you aren't likely to hear the trio of Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, and Mischa Maisky every day. The friends have attempted to perform as a threesome for decades, but it took sheer luck, and a few 1998 dates in Japan, to find the acclaimed pianist, violinist, and cellist onstage together. Recorded as a tribute to Reinhard Paulsen, the late manager of Argerich and Kremer, this disc features two of chamber music's darkest pieces: Shostakovich's op. 67 and Tchaikovsky's op. 50 for piano and strings. Both composers wrote these works as elegies, and the effect of the pairing is riveting; the Shostakovich is bleak and occasionally violent (the use of Jewish melodies makes this as much a remembrance of the Holocaust as of any individual), while Tchaikovsky's epic, nearly 50-minute piece requires more patience but is even more expansive. Though the musicians haven't performed these pieces before, they have an intuitive grasp of the music--Kremer seems meant for these lyrical, personal violin passages, and Argerich is ready to unleash her fury at a moment's notice. Sonically, Maisky's cello is slightly obscured by his powerhouse peers, but he serves as a sobering backbone to these compositions. The very short tango by contemporary Peter Kiesewetter acts as an encore, a two-minute reminder that these friends know how to have fun too. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

The big meeting at the summit--and it disappoints.......2001-12-09

"Every concert must be 'ewent.'" --Mstislav Rostropovich

What is it about "Event" concerts? Whether it's the Rolling Stones' latest reunion, Benny Goodman's Anniversary Carnegie Hall Concert, or Bernstein at the Wall doing Beethoven's 9th, for some reason the assembly of Big Name talents playing Important Works frequently seems to disappoint. (Of course there are exceptions: the Modern Jazz Quartet's farewell concert; Horowitz's return to Moscow in 1986.) Still, we keep hoping the next encounter will strike fire and make the history that's expected. And it seems to me that a lot of listeners who are more interested in basking in that history rather than just listening with their ears wide open and their expectations in neutral always hear the results as "Incredible," "Magnificent," "The Greatest Recording of Anything ever!!"

That aside, I was really looking forward to this CD. I like all three musicians, though I do think Argerich is overrated sometimes and people respond more to her persona than anything else. But still, I figured her firey temperment was ideal for this music. The thing with Shostakovich that most people don't realize is, the structure is of paramount importance. (Think of all the rambling, incoherent readings of the Fifth Symphony out there.) As another reviewer here perceptively notes, the three musicians fall apart at the beginning and never really recover. This is a work of large structures, really, and they don't play it that way. Instead we get a series of unconnected episodes. And--and this is the oddest aspect of the performance I can't explain--despite all the flailing and banging away, they never really build up to a big, hair-raising finale. It's loud, it's harsh, but it sounds like sound and fury signifying nothing. Perhaps the best performance of the Shostakovich trio I've ever heard is by the Kqalichstein/Laredo/Robinson trio on Arabesque. This two-for-the-price-of-one set features searing performances of several other DSCH chamber works, major and minor, in excellent sound. And some of the other music in this set is not often heard and is positively bizarre (in a good way). This set certainly will not disappoint, and Amazon sells it, though for some reason they won't let me post a direct link here. Another fine performance of the DSCH Op. 67 trio is Kagan/Gutman/Richter, who, quite frankly, are worth hearing in practically anything anyway.

As for the Tchaikovsky, I really don't have many other examples to go on, but this one I just found boring and plodding. (Anyone with suggestions for good performances of the Tchaikovsky work feel free to email me...I'd appreciate it.)

Riveting Performance of Three Friends Playing a Live Concert.......2001-08-30

These are profound, riveting performances of Shostakovich's and Tchiakovsky's piano trios. Admittedly, Argerich leads the trio with her fiery keyboard playing, but Kremer is no less memorable for his lyrical phrasing on the violin. Maisky is just as fine on the cello, though he is often overshadowed by his friends. Both pieces are dark, somber works which are well suited to Argerich's tempestuous personality. Although the sound quality isn't as fine as a contemporary studio recording, it does come quite close. I tip my hat in admiration to Deutsche Grammophon for producing a splendid recording which celebrates a long-lasting friendship amongst three of our most exciting classical musicians.

3 strong personalties, united here.......2001-08-30

This recording, taken from two live performances in Japan, is unusual, but breathtaking. And contrary to what one reviewer on the review page said, this is not the first time the 3 have played together. It was the year before this present recording was made, in '97 in Verbier, that they played for the first time.
The Shostakovich is a very graphic interpretation, vividly portraying the anger and the pain behind the music. The three performers are very strong personalities and naturally there will be doubt as to how successful their collaboration will be in chamber music. While still maintaining their individual temperaments, the performance as a whole is a keenly united one. The interplay, the communication between the three players is impressive. Some have commented at the lack of techinical accuracy. Maybe that is so, but I sometimes think that some of these 'inaccuracies' are deliberate, to strengthen the music's drama. The Tchaikovsky is also another great Russian piano trio. It was written after the death of a beloved colleague, Nikolai Rubinstein. Incidentally, both trios on this disc were written after both composers lost dear friends. For Shostakovich, it was written in memory of Ivan Sollertinsky. And this disc is dedicated to the memory of Argerich and kremer's manager. So it is quite a deadly affair, this disc!
The Tchaikovsky is a long work - 40 minutes at least. Here it is
nearly 48 minutes! But the playing here is so impassioned and keenly felt that the impression is that it isn't that long at all. A very lyrical, yet powerfully articulated performance like this is rare. All the players are on top form for the Tchaikovsky, and from Argerich there is the strongest support you could imagine for a piano trio. The encore is a very witty 'medley' of Tchaikovsky's works (ranging from the Pathetique symphony, violin concerto, quotes from Eugene Onegin, to the Rococo Variations). Very humorous.
The sound is very vivid, and the booklet contains informative notes by David Brown, and entertaining observations by Argerich's second daughter, Annie, who describes what happened before the performances took place.

Breathtaking.......2001-06-21

It is a simply stunning performance, based on the talent of three unique musicians. Argerich is somehow the leading power of the trio, while the rest are no less worth praise for their great musicianship. Communication between the musicians adds to the superiority of this recording. Last, but not least: it is a live recording, and any sensitive person can feel that. It may not be the most immaculate perfomance ever recorded, but it has such an atmosphere that cannot be easily achieved in any studio.

Astounding Fiasco.......2001-03-01

I admire and respect all three musicians on this recording, but this is probably their worst performance ever. It was the first time Argerich, Kremer and Maisky played together, and it shows in every note. Shostakovich's Trio No 2, which happens to be one of my very favorite pieces of music, is not only technically demanding, but requires all three musiscians to carefully follow the structure of the whole piece. Argerich/Kremer/Maisky fall apart right in the beginning and never come together again. Second movement is especially awful, both technically and structurally. Technical mistakes are to a certain degree expected and can be forgiven in a live recording, but only if it has other redeeming qualities. This one has none. Tchaikovsky's trio is played slightly better, but not by much. If I rate Shostakovich as "awful", this one can be rated "bad". In general, this recording will easily make my Top 10 Worst Recordings Ever. The only fact which is more appalling than the release of this recording is it's nomination for Grammy award. I had little respect for Grammies to begin with, but that nomination was just ridiculous.

Tracks:

Kinderszenen Op.15: About Foreign Lands And Peoples
Kinderszenen Op.15: Curious Story
Kinderszenen Op.15: Catch Me If You Can
Kinderszenen Op.15: Pleading Child
Kinderszenen Op.15: Happiness
Kinderszenen Op.15: Important Event
Kinderszenen Op.15: Dreaming
Kinderszenen Op.15: At The Fireside
Kinderszenen Op.15: Knight Of The Hobby Horse
Kinderszenen Op.15: Almost Too Serious
Kinderszenen Op.15: Frightening
Kinderszenen Op.15: Child Falling Asleep
Kinderszenen Op.15: The Poet Speaks
Kreisleriana Op.16: Agitatissimo
Kreisleriana Op.16: Con Molta Espressione, Non Troppo Presto
Kreisleriana Op.16: Molto Agitato
Kreisleriana Op.16: Lento Assai
Kreisleriana Op.16: Vivace Assai
Kreisleriana Op.16: Lento Assai
Kreisleriana Op.16: Molto Presto
Kreisleriana Op.16: Vivace E Scherzando

Customer Reviews:

I hate this CD!.......2004-12-12

I hate this CD! I choose to listen to it primarily for the Kreisleriana, one of my favorite pieces of Schumann -- and then, to my chagrin, I get sidetracked by Kinderscenen, the first piece on this disc. Once I hear the lovely opening strains of "From foreign lands and peoples," I am "hooked" and must finish listening to this piece in its entirety before I get to hear the Kreisleriana. What a horrible predicament . . . to have two stunning performances of two entirely different works by the same composer and same artist on a single CD!! Seriously, though, while Martha Argerich needs no endorsement -- certainly not from a mere mortal like me -- the interpretations on this disc are nothing short of extraordinary. The alternately gentle ease, whimsical jerkiness, and general loveliness with which she plays the Kinderscenen truly presents this as a piece not for children, but for adults about children with all of their profound yet innocent thoughts and delights. One loses oneself in this musical panorama of childhood brought forth by Ms. Argerich. Regarding Kreisleriana, it is best that I say nothing and simply insist that everyone who loves music owes himself or herself the hearing of this romantic, mysterious, yet subtle masterpiece of Schumann brought forth through the mind and fingers of Ms. Argerich. (I truly feel indebted to her, knowing her aversion to solo playing, that she has graced us with these recordings, of which the purchase price is as nothing when compared with the inestimable value of the production.) This is a performance that is at once intensely passionate and caressingly beautiful. Thunderously powerful and quietly mysterious -- all as Schumann intended . . . but almost never realized in the concert hall, so difficult is the performance of this work both technically and interpretively. In closing, while I still adore the (justly) legendary Kreislerianas of Kempff and Horowitz, there's just something about Argerich here that makes the heart beat a bit faster.

One phenomenal artist!.......2004-09-26

For those fortunate enough to have heard Martha Argerich in concert are well aware of her innate musicality and brilliance of execution. Though she is usually associated with the "barn-burner" repertoire she has always been equally at home in the gentler tenderness of such works as in this recordings Kinderszenen by Robert Schumann (paired with an equally successful reading of the Kreisleriana). Yes, she does have her own ideas about tempi and dynamics, but this music is, after all, form the Romantic Era when just such personality traits were de rigueur with performers (and composers performing their own works!). Argerich never gets in the way of the composer's markings, she just leans into the inner voices and there finds interpretations that sing. Her nonchalant (read 'unfussy') opening of 'Von fremden Landern und Menschen' is childlike innocence itself, and when she approaches 'Ritter con Steckenpferd' we are on a wild ride of technical finesse. The balance of the recording (made in 1984) is up to the old standards set by DGG. This is an enormously satisfying CD of two wonderful cycles from Schumann's repertoire for the piano alone.

Argerich According to Taste.......2000-06-19

Last Summer I finally had the opportunity to hear Argerich live in concert (Prokoviev, not Schumann -- but it hardly mattered). I felt my musical appreciation life was complete. As recent New York Times articles have said, Argerich in concert inspires something very like the 'Lisztomania' phenomenon in the 19th century. Live, sitting at the piano, fingers often moving so fast they can't be followed with the eye, yet always poised like doing this were the most natural thing in the world, Argerich seems more an elemental force or goddess than a human pianist...at least to people who become involved in her music making. (At the concert I attended she received a 15-20 minute nonstop standing ovation -- no exaggeration -- so it seemed everyone was involved.)

This is all by way of saying that Argerich's recordings don't in my experience -- possibly can't -- live up to her live performances. And so what some people hear as 'virtuosity for its own sake' (quoted from above review), may be the most thrilling music ever heard by the people in the studio at the time she recorded it. Or maybe she needs a concert hall audience, and the studio technicians heard brilliant virtuosity.

As to this recording, I find it to be for the most part vintage Argerich. There are passages that are either too briskly stormed through or that didn't translate onto record and needed to be heard live (microphones are not ears and do change the sound -- that's why there's no perfect stereo system). But if you are able to get into Argerich's sound world -- one of profound emotional intelligence and dynamism -- then what could sound like caprice begins to thrill. The Gramophone reviewer noted Argerich's identification with the child's point of view in Kinderszenen, and I hear that as well. That performance is full of wonder and impulse and 'seeing what's on the other side of that door.' The Kriesleriana is a wild, passionate ride, but with great concentration and intensity in the slow movements. Her tempi, as always, are fast -- almost like the rest of the world is moving in slow motion to her. The sound on the LP was crystal clear, a little light in the bass, neither rich and warm nor cold nor brittle -- just raindrop clear: a typically good DG recording.

If you like Argerich, this is a marvellous disc. If you often have reservations about her playing, you will almost certainly have them again here; though I heartily recommend attending at least one of her concerts at the earliest opportunity.

One of the best Schumann performences.......2000-06-02

I loved Argerich's interpretation of those pieces. No Doubt that this is one of the best recordings of the 20th century! a must.

Average customer rating:

Piano poorly captured
What a pity
Not-so-Baroque Bach
Too much sustaining pedal
Just Heavenly

Bach: Sonatas for Cello & Piano

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich
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Chopin: 26 Préludes, etc / Martha Argerich
Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich in Concert

ASIN: B000001G6L
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 1. Adagio
Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 2. Allegro ma non tanto
Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 3. Andante
Sonata No. 1 In G Major, BWV 1027: 4. Allegro
Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 1. Adagio
Sonata No.2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 2. Allegro
Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 3. Andante
Sonata No. 2 In D Major, BWV 1028: 4. Allegro
Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 1. Vivace
Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 2. Adagio
Sonata No. 3 In G Minor, BWV 1029: 3. Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Piano poorly captured.......2006-08-04

Its hard to decide how to rate this CD. I agree with most other reviewers that the performance is 5 stars. But the piano is both too low in volume and too thin sounding to my ear. And in this work the piano part is just as important as the cello. For what to me sounds like perfect balance between soloist and piano see Schumann: Song Cycles, Op.24, 42 & 48, with Leon Fleisher. Excerpts are available on Amazon.

What a pity.......2006-04-01

What a pity Martha didn't use less piano sustaining pedal in this cd!

Not-so-Baroque Bach.......2005-12-20

These three sonatas - composed originally for the viola da gamba and harpsichord - are very musically-appealing compositions. And unlike previous Baroque cahmber-music tradition, the harpsichord is not relegated to mere continuo but projected into the spotlight as co-soloist - perhaps to showcase some of Bach's keyboard virtuosity. There are several fine period recordings of these works on viola da gamba and harpsichord (Savall, Peri, Crum, Wispelwey) or modern cello with harpsichord (Ma, Tortelier). But if your taste favors all modern instuments (cello, piano), then this circa-80's CD by the legendary Martha Argerich and Misha Maisky is the ticket.

What is immediately striking about the recording is Maisky's lush and sensual cello tone and graceful progression through the music. Perhaps to some, it is not "Baroque enough" a sound with more Romantic flavor. Regardless, it is beautiful and emmensely likeable playing. Maisky's partnership here with Miss Argerich is seamless and well judged - both share enthusiastically the contrapuntal voices with equal weight and balance. Argerich's tempos and style are in-synch with both Bach's intent and Maisky's poised playing, so you won't find her sometimes "overdriven" tempos or bravura here as she finds the right center of gravity for Bach's music. Equally attractive is the bright, full and perfectly balanced sound from DG. Penguin Guide rated this 3/3 stars, noting that those who prefer modern over period instruments will delight in this partnership and fine recording. I tend to prefer this sensual-sounding Bach recording for certain times, but, in other times - when I crave pure Baroque period sounds - I prefer the other mentioned recordings of the viola da gamba and harpsichord (of which, Jordy Savall is usually the top pick). A treat for Argerich fans. 5 stars assuming you prefer more modern timbres.

Too much sustaining pedal.......2005-11-23

This cd should be beatiful without the sustaing pedal on piano (vibrato on cello, dynamic and agoge bearables)...

Just Heavenly.......2003-10-10

This one has finally supplanted the Leonard Rose - Glenn Gould recording as main dish in my soul food banquet.

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