Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The relationship between pianist Martha Argerich and the recording studio has always been an on/off affair. Consequently, many of her discs derive from live concert tapings. EMI is doing a great service to the pianist's legion of fans by issuing excellent-sounding live broadcast recordings, like the two concertos contained on this disc. Mozart's C Major Concerto K. 503 is new to Argerich's discography. Her skittish fluidity in the passagework of the outer movements downplays the music's operatic overtones, stressing instead the music's big-boned virtuosic parameters. Occasional patchy tone and unsettled entrances are a small price to pay for Szymon Goldberg's sensitive, well-balanced support at the helm of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Why are the cadenzas unaccredited (Mozart left none for this work)? Argerich made a studio recording of Beethoven's joyfully brash First Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Giuseppe Sinopoli for DG in the late 1980s. This 1992 live version, however, finds the mercurial virtuoso in more spontaneous, rabble-rousing fettle. At the same time, she conveys more breadth and breathing room in the slow movement. Heinz Wallberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra turn in an alert, yet firmly rooted orchestral framework that supports the soloist without indulging her headstrong tendencies. One might expect a pianist of Argerich's capabilities to let rip in Beethoven's longer, wilder, first-movement cadenza, but she opts instead for the more frequently played shorter one. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: I. Sinfonia - Grave Adagio
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Andante
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: II. Allemande
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: III. Courante
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: IV. Sarabonde
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: V. Rondeau
Nocturne No. 13 In C Minor, Op. 48, No. 1
Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 39
Sonata, Sz. 80: I. Allegro moderato
Sonata, Sz. 80: II. Sostenuto e pesante
Sonata, Sz. 80: III. Allegro molto
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: I. Danza del viejo boyero (Dance Of The Old Cowherd)
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: II. Danza de la moza donoso (Dance Of The Delightful Young Girl)
Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2: III. Danza del gaucho matrero (Dance Of The Artful Herdsman)
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: I. Allegro inquieto - Andantino
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: II. Andante caloroso
Piano Sonata No. 7 In B Flat, Op. 83: III. Precipitato
Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata In D Minor
Bourree - English Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807

Amazon.com

Throughout her lengthy artistic career, pianist Martha Argerich has experienced many heights and depths: moments of "crisis" in which she hasn't always seemed prepared to offer the full extent of her artistic insights, but also many, many times when she has managed simultaneously to come into her own and to completely lose herself in music-making. Fortunately it's the latter snapshot of Argerich's career that this CD captures, drawing from two live recitals Argerich gave at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw in 1978 and 1979. They document the pianist's overwhelming gifts, with all the artistic characteristics that have made her so revered. The program is quite eclectic, with music from Prokofiev and Chopin--all familiar territory for Argerich, which she masters with arresting brilliance, extraordinary technical facility, and grandly sweeping gestures. A bit further afield on the program are such composers as Domenico Scarlatti and J.S. Bach. The latter might give one pause: Bach and Argerich? But in the slower movements of the C Minor Partita, it's astonishing to hear such uncommonly tender, feathery tones. In short, the music breathes. It's only too bad that in the faster movements of the Bach pieces Argerich resorts to her typically fiery, stormy attacks. --Teresa Pieschacón Raphael

Customer Reviews:

If you only get one Martha Argerich disc..........2007-04-30

If you only get one Martha Argerich disc, or if you're just begining to collect her music, this would be an excellent choice. She is in superb form here, playing to a large, very appreciative audience. Also she plays a huge variety here, ranging from Bach & Scarlatti, through Chopin, to semi-modern composers including Bartok, Prokofiev, and Ginastera.

This recording illustrates why Argerich is considered by many to be the greatest living pianist, (I also love Pollini). Her power, passion, full colored tone, and technical agility are unparalleled. While everything on this album is superb, my favorite is the Chopin Nocturne in C minor. It starts off very calm, but with just a hint of the turbulence to come. It becomes even more serine when suddenly the serenity is invaded by waves of dark turbulence. I've heard a few other versions of this work, but I've never heard the simultaneous range of emotions that Argerich achieves here, it's magical.

DON'T YOU WISH YOU'D BEEN THERE?.......2006-08-31

Thrilling, exciting, sexy, passionate, fiery, volatile, demanding, challenging, surprising, charismatic, exquisitely beautiful. Are we talking about the pianist or the playing? Well, both, of course. This recital from the Concertgebouw in the late 70's (actually put together from two recitals) amply demonstrates why Martha Argerich is one of the great pianists of our time.

For a start, there is the breathtaking range of repertoire here - from Bach to Bartok and Prokofiev and on to her fellow-countryman, Ginastera. All of them played with an innate sense of the different styles and character demanded. But all of them challenging stale preconceptions, shedding new light on the composers and their music. Even the most familiar pieces come up as fresh as though newly minted. The Chopin items are just as fresh and exciting as anything here: the C Minor Nocturne is a wonder of colour and tints, the darkness of its central section starkly contrasted with the elegance and smoothness of its outer parts. Equally the motoric rhythms of the first movement of the Bartok Sonata and the last of the Prokofiev display enormous power and energy.

With her reluctance to play/record solo recitals any more, live documents such as these Concertgebouw programmes are invaluable. If you've a taste for invigorating, refreshing piano playing of the highest standards (both of technique and interpretation), don't hesitate.

Argerich's strengths and weaknesses.......2005-11-11

This CD, with live recordings from 1978 and 1979, is a showcase of Martha Argerich's astounding gifts but also of some of her evident shortcomings. The former are a technique as brilliant as any to be found anywhere in the world today, a real interpretative temperament and a natural musical instinct which is amongst the most unique in the annals of piano playing. The latter, a tendency towards senselessly fast and forced playing which often leads to distorted renditions reminiscent of the worst moments of Simon Barere and Gyorgy Cziffra.

The Partita n. 2 is good, reasonably spacious and even luminous in places. It's non-authoritative Bach playing but all the better for it. The Bartok sonata is the highlight of the disc: its motoric drive is relentless, its percussiveness notable without being unpleasant, and the overall technical vigour quite remarkable. Prokofiev's Sonata n. 7, op. 83 - probably the most popular of the Russian master's nine - is also impressive, with some brilliant fingerwork in spite of some minor slips and exciting throughout, though the final allegro precipitato sounds hurried rather than potent. Argerich also shows the expected understanding of her compatriot Alberto Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas, which she dispatches with flair and elan.

The Chopin, however, is a totally different story, and a sad one at that. This Scherzo n. 3 is much inferior to Argerich's previous recordings of the piece - made in 1961 and 1965 - and easily her worst attempt. She entirely sacrifices the narrative aspect of the work to speed and feverishness. The result is a shapeless, amorphous performance, with many blurred and technically inaccurate moments, and a tone with is at times hard-edged and banged. I can't imagine Chopin wanting that (ironically enough, the notoriously fast-fingered Barere recorded this same scherzo in the 30's with restraint, good taste and a luminous quality of tone).

All in all, a valuable CD, not only for the instances of great piano playing but also for revealing Argerich's highs and lows as a performer.

Great Chopin Nocturne.......2005-02-03

Sometimes, listening to Argerich can give one the impression that you are hearing THE way of playing a piece.
In this case, it happened with Chopin's beautiful nocturne, which i had already heard in various performances by other pianists (Rubinstein, Barenboim, etc)

I can't believe it's the same piece. In this recording, Argerich has managed to make this one explode like an atomic bomb, and leave me trembling.... Even in the slower parts the notes seem to flow like water... Simply wonderful.

The other works recorded are good, but the partita sounds better on DG's Studio recording, the Scherzo also sounds better on DG's Debut Recital... The Prokofiev sonata is included in this disc only, so if you want it, there you go...

Anyway, good cd, gret Nocturne, very good permormances all around.

The sound is a little crappy though, so it gets 4 stars instead of five. I really don't like EMI's live sound...

Not Martha's Best.......2001-07-30

Being a Marth Argerich fan, i was disapointed with this CD. In the last movement of the Prokofiev, which is one of my favorite pieces of music, she loses control and the Great Finaly of the sonata is very sloppy. through out the CD backround noise is heard and for the encores i was amazed at how much whishpereing there was , even during her playing. i know thats something that she cannot help. overall her playing is much cleaner and neater on otherr CD's. i recommened her two Great Pianists of hte Twentieth Century CD's much more than this one. the First one has a much nicer recording of the Bach Partita.

Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw 1978 & 1979 - Schumann, Ravel / Argerich

Average customer rating:

Argerich radiates spontaneity and freedom--mesmerizing
An evening with a legend
A free spirit.
Simply wonderful
Amazing and beautiful

Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw 1978 & 1979 - Schumann, Ravel / Argerich

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Debut Recital / Martha Argerich
Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1979
Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992
J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

ASIN: B000055WFF
Release Date: 2001-03-13

Tracks:

Des Abends
Aufschwung
Warum?
Grillen
In Der Nacht
Fabel
Traumes Wirren
Ende Vom Lied
Modere
Movt De Menuet
Anime
Ondine
Le Gibet
Scarbo

Amazon.com

While the keyboardist herself continues to limit her public performances, great reissues featuring Martha Argerich's riveting live displays of solo piano virtuosity just keep coming out. Someone at the record label clearly knows what she's doing. Argerich's two previous recital discs from Amsterdam's Concertgebouw chronicled her performing the unusual (Bach, believe it or not) and the predictable (Mozart and Beethoven). On this disc (recorded in 1978 and 1979 but still boasting superb sonics), Argerich is again in her element with electrifying readings of Schumann's Fantasiestücke and Ravel's Sonatine and Gaspard de la nuit. While Gaspard offers the clearest portrait of her prodigious technical skills, Argerich's Schumann is simply stunning. She throws caution to the wind and probes the work's emotional depths with all the intensity she can muster. Intense and lovely, this is incredible music-making and a must-have for piano lovers. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Argerich radiates spontaneity and freedom--mesmerizing.......2006-07-27

I'm not always a fan of Argerich when she gets into crash-and-bang mode, but when she manages to hold herself (slightly) reined in, she deserves every accolade thorwn her way. She plays Schumann with great imaginative freedom, and since he, among all composers, should be played with spontaneity, there have been few to match Argerich. These eight Fantasiestucke are supberb. (A reviewer above was at a 1979 concert that preceded this one, and Argerich's tight black T-shirt seems to have convinced him that she was 18 at the time--she was 38.)

But we shouldn't spill all the superlatives before getting to her Ravel. The Sonatine may be short and slight, but it displays some of Ravel's most exquisite tuoches. ARgerich elevates the score to the heights of a Debussy Prelude with her amazingly sensitive imagination. Gaspard de la Nuit was a showpiece for her teacher, Michelangeli. If his version didn't exist, we would consider ARgerich's matchless for touch and control, yet she is far less cool than Michelangeli, whose tone was glassy where hers is emotionally more yielding. The repeated midnight bell in Le Gibet is almost gentle, while Scarbo is all brilliance and nerves.

In sum, a great recital, even if 51 min. is stingy

An evening with a legend.......2005-11-10

Those who had the priviledge to attend any of Martha Argerich's solo recitals will usually say her concerts were major events in the classical-music world and were attended by the best and brightest. When people heard of Argerich playing in town, calanders were cleared and buzz began. People came with a tantalizing sense of expectancy to witness something unique, awesome and, sadly, something all too rare (she largely stopped solo recitals in the 80's). And while many in attendance were devoted purists, for one night this "purity" was often set aside to be freely engulfed by the sheer magnetism and pure drama of Argerich's playing and alluring Argentinian mystique - albeit much of her playing being heavy on individualism.

The live recordings of Schmumann and Ravel on this CD capture the electricity of such long-talked about concerts and are a special piece of history for Martha's fans. Of course, much of the tempos will be fast and overdriven, but perhaps the question is to what extent such tempos and rhythms adds to (or detracts from) the resulting music. I think a main thing that attracts people to Miss Argerich's music is her ability to create "a true event" from the music - music filled with a sense of an unfolding drama and an animated life that she breathes into the music - all combining to create an event that is a memorable moment in time that moves you and leaves you even tingling with excitment, awe or musical inspiration. True, with this artist much of this excitement and sheer drama will be from the performer and less perhaps from the composer. But, is that a bad thing? I guess it depends on many things and your perspective at the time.

No piece better represents Argerich's ability to create this unfolding sense of drama better than her electrifying performance of Ravel's rather strange and seethingly-virtuostic work, "le Gaspard de la Nuit." This is the star of the CD and a performance often noted in the music critic world as most fascinating. Right from the cascading opening bars of the mesmerizing "water-effects" of Ondine, Argerich creates an charged atmosphere of expectancy and excitement. Her dramatic rolling build up in the middle and later "outburst" from the so-called water nymph is sheer mastery of pianism for its tingling effects. The middle movement le Gibet (the gallows) like the others is based on a scene from a imaginative literary work. Here, Martha exudes a most convincing stillness of death and desolation (in spite of a brisk pace even) as she continues her (Ravel's) build-up of the drama. Strangely in this movement, an audience member's creaking chair eerily adds to the chilling scene (like the corpse swinging on the wooden gallows). A rather creepy coincidence! In the last movement, she introduces the audience to the menacing figure Scarbo in the first few bars climaxing with a stunning, two-note "flutter" possessing a piercing electricity unlike any other. Its enough to send chills down your spine especially if you know the story behind this work. So, especially in this most frenzied-by-design movement, Argerich's blazing pianism finds its perfect home and definately adds - or even creates its own category of performance - by its uniqueness and ability to powerfully move the listener. The Gaspard is one of her most notable concert performances to be experienced, and she delivers the imagery and effect that Ravel probably intended in this piece of program music.

If there is one movement that Argerich's rushed tempos starts to detract, it is the opening movement of the Sonatine (Modere). Here, Argerich speeds by the more subtle beauty inherent in this work and creates more inner tension and nervousness than ideal for its more subtle intentions. Critics often cite her missing the inner beauty and soul of some music in the quest for virtuosity and this is one example of that I think. Some movements in the Schumann work also fall in this category too in an otherwise passionate performance (Schumann's music takes well to her style for sure). Yet, she turns right around in the second Sonatine movement (menuet) to reveal a work of delicate artisty and nuance with a wonderfully flowing and most natural tempo.

So, while other artists (Angela Hewitt for one) consistently represent more accurately the composer's musical intent and tempo indications, the final measure to many will be the overall effect on the music and listener - does it just seem rushed or does it seem to match the spirit of the music and add to its powers of peruasion? I would say in this CD, the "Gaspard" is the piece that Argerich does best in this manner, the Fantasiestuck also, but less in parts of the Sonatine. Gramophone gave this CD high marks and was not able to resist the allure of her mesmerizing performance of 'le Gaspard.' As far as sound quality, it is bright and full, fairly closely miked. There is some analog "hiss" (heard mostly in headphones) and some audience coughing, but nothing bad enough to detract from its magical moments and sense of being witness to a musical legend and magical moment in time.

A free spirit........2002-10-23

This live recording demonstrates that Argerich is one of the very few pianists who can actually breathe soul into the music she plays. While other pianists have no problem playing all the notes and giving a musically correct presentation of the works they play, Argerich actually makes the music come alive. When she plays, the music speaks directly and effectively to the audience. She's not an academic pianist who strives for political correctness or one who modifies her speech in order to offend the least. No, what she wants to say she says it with the utmost conviction and confidence. Her honesty and boldness is in her personality as well as in her playing. That is why her playing always provokes the strongest reactions - either love or hate. No matter what, she claims all the freedom that all true artists deserve and never permits herself to be imprisoned between bar lines. Hers is a free spirit, and to listen to Argerich is to embark on a journey that is fantastic and unforgettable.

Simply wonderful.......2002-06-22

I bought this disc as a sad reminder that she probably won't be giving many more recitals, or recording much new repertoire, let alone ever tour the African continent, and becuase she is a great pianist I never heard live. I was completely bowled over. Most live recitals one listens to every now and again, but her unique Argerich combination of energy, craftsmanship and mercurial insight that reveals new splendours even in well-known works, is simply addicting. I LOVE this disc.

Amazing and beautiful.......2002-04-19

My daughter and I just heard Martha Argerich play in Philadelphia in April, 2002. Instead of the listed Chopin, she chose to play Schumann. In the twenty years since this album was recorded, she has lost none of her technical ability or delicacy of feeling. What a range. What a musician..... I found myself wishing the patron would have either had the foresight to bring lozenges or the decency to leave the auditorium. Aside from that, this is a wonderful disc. Miss Argerich demonstrates that playing with speed and power are *not* the same as "banging on the keys". Buy it.

Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992

Average customer rating:

The young Argerich gives us an astonishing K. 503 and later a very fine Beethoven First
The inimitable Argerich in classical vein
Beethoven playing at its best
Wit, energy, and joy! A choice disk...
"classical" style?

Martha Argerich: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Martha Argerich Plays Chopin: The Legendary 1965 Recording
Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1979
Beethoven: Piano Concertos No. 2 & 3
Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich

ASIN: B00004LCAQ
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Tracks:

Piano Concerto No. 25 In C, K. 503: Allegro maestoso
Piano Concerto No. 25 In C, K. 503: Andante
Piano Concerto No. 25 In C, K. 503: III. Allegretto
Piano Concerto No. 1 In C, Op. 15: Allegro con brio
Piano Concerto No. 1 In C, Op. 15: Largo
Piano Concerto No. 1 In C, Op. 15: Allegro scherzando

Amazon.com

The relationship between pianist Martha Argerich and the recording studio has always been an on/off affair. Consequently, many of her discs derive from live concert tapings. EMI is doing a great service to the pianist's legion of fans by issuing excellent-sounding live broadcast recordings, like the two concertos contained on this disc. Mozart's C Major Concerto K. 503 is new to Argerich's discography. Her skittish fluidity in the passagework of the outer movements downplays the music's operatic overtones, stressing instead the music's big-boned virtuosic parameters. Occasional patchy tone and unsettled entrances are a small price to pay for Szymon Goldberg's sensitive, well-balanced support at the helm of the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. Why are the cadenzas unaccredited (Mozart left none for this work)? Argerich made a studio recording of Beethoven's joyfully brash First Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Giuseppe Sinopoli for DG in the late 1980s. This 1992 live version, however, finds the mercurial virtuoso in more spontaneous, rabble-rousing fettle. At the same time, she conveys more breadth and breathing room in the slow movement. Heinz Wallberg and the Concertgebouw Orchestra turn in an alert, yet firmly rooted orchestral framework that supports the soloist without indulging her headstrong tendencies. One might expect a pianist of Argerich's capabilities to let rip in Beethoven's longer, wilder, first-movement cadenza, but she opts instead for the more frequently played shorter one. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

The young Argerich gives us an astonishing K. 503 and later a very fine Beethoven First.......2006-06-13

Within a few bars of Argerich's first entrance in the Mozart K. 503 concerto she had me paying attention in a way I never expected from her. Could this delightfully fresh, relazed, imaginative pianist be her? Apparently in 1978 she hadn't yet developed the fiery, aggressive, often impetuous style that her fans love but which doesn't sit well in Mozart's music. Here she is simply unsurpassable, showing so much musicality and inner life through her playing that I completely surrendered. Szymon Goldberg keeps up with Argerich by making sure that the accompaniment is never routine but lgiht and joyous.

After my first listen I checked the Gramophone review to see if anyone shared my amazement and found that the reviewer called this "as radiant, vital and carefree a performance as any within living memory." Absolutely.

In the Beethoven First the partnership isn't quite as magical. Heinz Wallberg starts out the orchestral part in pretty routine fashion, although the Concertgebouw plays with gorgeous tonal balance. This is 1992, and I expected Argerich to charge blazing into the solo part. As it turns out, she is nearly as effervescent and carefree as in the Mozart. Does a live setting make her this genial? I'm not sure that Beethoven's music is so inspired that taking all the repeats is justified--the timing stretches out to 34 min.--but with such infectious playing I was happy to hear every note. Wallberg is at his best in the slow movement, which he conducts with extra intensity to counterpoint Argerich's hypnotic legatos. The rondo finale is dashed off at a nice, buoyant pace, and the orchestra skips alongside Argerich to delightful effect--there's no pounding or exaggeration from her, either, despite her fiery reputation.

All in all, a complete delight.

The inimitable Argerich in classical vein.......2004-02-21

This highly enjoyable disc has the renowned Argentinian pianist in two live performances of classical concerti. Although Argerich is perhaps best-known for her blazing traversals of Romantic and early twentieth-century warhorses (the Liszt Sonata, Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit and Prokofiev's Third Concerto must be numbered among her classic interpretations), she proves more than capable of scaling down and refining her approach as befits the more delicate writing of these late eighteenth-century masterpieces. Mozart's Concerto in C major, K. 503 is not as popular as its predecessor in the same key, K. 467 (the "Elvira Madigan" concerto), and its slow movement is perhaps not as romantically appealing. In formal construction, intricacy of interplay between solo and orchestra and mastery of development it must be counted among his very greatest works. Argerich's crystalline passagework and clean phrasing are a continual delight. She plays a sensible, idiomatic and, disappointingly, unattributed cadenza in the first movement. Although the accompanying orchestra plays stylishly under Szymon Goldberg, the balance of the live recording is tipped heavily in favor of the solo, which means some finer details of the orchestra-solo relationship are lost.

The squarer, more straightforward style of the Beethoven Concerto needs less subtlety of listening. Again Argerich tosses off the frequently intricate piano writing with irresistible dash. (She plays the shorter, less virtuosic of Beethoven's two complete cadenzas for the first movement.) The long slow movement is played with melting tenderness and beautiful work from the solo winds. This is yet another wonderful souvenir of this very great pianist's art.

Beethoven playing at its best.......2004-01-01

As a perennial Argerich fan, I'm slightly confused as to why I did not purchase this disc sooner, even if only because the cover photo would make a good addition to my collection. But there is much more than a pretty photo here; the playing is top-notch, as expected.

Unfortunately, the disc opens with the Mozart. While it is not a bad performance, something is missing. I find that Argerich seems much less "comfortable" in this concerto than in the Beethoven (considering her statements about Mozart and Beethoven in her interviews, this seems appropriate). The Mozart is ultimately ruined for me in the Allegretto--the piano entrance is played with such blazing speed that it is difficult to discern what's really going on.

The Beethoven, on the other hand, is brilliant. It is played a little slower than her childhood debut, but is endlessly more mature. The tender moments are played with such delicacy and finesse, that I feel almost as if time has stopped. Her runs, no matter what tempo or dynamic, are always crystal-clear and shaded with wonderful color. And while the third movement may be a little on the brisk side, the playing is always nuanced. No matter what the music calls for, she delivers it accurately, musically, and with astonishing control.

If the quality of a recording should be judged on how many times I can spin the disc in my player and not grow tired of it, this one is a real winner. One thing remains true: I gain something more with each listen.

Wit, energy, and joy! A choice disk..........2002-06-24

Argerich is always amazing. In this recording she shows she has wit and energy to spare. Both concertos are favorites and almost too well known, but her performance (and it IS a recoding of a live performance) is so full of life you will find yourself smiling and even chuckling a few times.

Some people feel they haven't given a proper critique of a recording without giving a list of flaws in the performance details. To that I saw they are missing the whole point of the thing. Live music is about the moment and going after something. The fact that there are rough spots means almost nothing when the artistry is still in tact. And with Argerich the piano playing is rock solid fun and both orchestras do a great job in matching her vitality.

Both of these concertos require the pianist to make the music sing, but in different ways. The Mozart is witty in its sheer musical facility. Mozart is able to conceive anything and pull it off seemingly out of thin air. I am always amazed at his quicksilver imagination and it is in full power in this concerto and in this performance.

The Beethoven is wonderful, but it is obvious that it is more of a constructed wit. It is still very funny and powerful and poetic. I guess the difference is really that Mozart seems almost improvised and the Beethoven seems more thought out. Not that Mozart seems anything less than perfect nor does the Beethoven sound labored. It is just the way the payoffs are gained makes them sound that way to me.

In any case, these are two wonderful pieces and two superb performances. I love listening to this CD. Enjoy!

"classical" style?.......2000-07-30

What is the classical style? What can be objectively defined as the "proper" or "correct" way of playing Mozart and Beethoven? It's all too fashionable these days to dismiss Argerich's interpretation of these composers as "stylistically wrong." I believe it all comes from some stereotyped misconception of these composers and of Argerich. Mozart and Beethoven are categorized by musicologists and historians as composers of the Classical period, but does that mean their music should be nothing but "elegant", impersonal, and "dignified"? Mozart and Beethoven, as composers and human beings, certainly do not conform to this stereotype. Neither does their music. You won't find less life and singing in Mozart, or less soul and fire in Beethoven, than in any "Romantic" composers. Their music was revolutionary and individual, not just some easy entertainment for aristocrats. Why, then, should we deprive our artists of their right and freedom when they try to do the music justice?

In interviews, Argerich often talked about how much Beethoven and Mozart meant to her. It will be surprising for most people to know that she's interested in theoretical essays in order to know how something was played in each period. She said, "Trying to know what the interpretations were like in each period is a question of respect for the composer who created that music that I love." She also says that she understands Beethoven more than she does others. Indeed, when we listen to her play, her love for the music is apparent.

With Mozart, however, it's a more interesting case. What we hear in her Teldec Mozart recordings certainly is quite different from that in this concerto performance. (It is also interesting to see her play Mozart fourhands in the DVD "Martha Argerich and Friends") This is not to say which Argerich is better, but I do think that as a Mozart interpreter she's more mercurial and maybe somewhat less consistent than as a Beethoven player. In fact, Argerich confessed that "with Mozart, the sound of the modern piano gives me some trepidation." Fortunately, we don't sense any of that mixed feeling in this EMI live recording. This performance has the youthful exuberance, the sense of improvisation, and a truly singing quality that are so essential (yet so rarely heard) in a Mozart performance. Her problem with Mozart on the modern piano doesn't seem to exist; instead, we hear the instrument fully utilized in her heartfelt singing style. It is healthy, full-blooded, full of colors, and with the greatest sincerity. Her impeccable musical taste and intelligence give the interpretation authority and integrity. Her virtuosity adds extra brilliance and excitement. This is a dream performance of Mozart's K. 503.

By the way, I'm curious to know how many people actually listen to music with the score on their hands. Following the music score can be a great distraction and it prevents the listener from being completely open to what the music and performer really says. In reality, the music notation of Mozart and Beethoven is often ambiguous and they had such improvisatory habits and flair while performing that I think it's wrong for today's performers (and listeners as well) to blindly follow the score as if it's the bible.

Also, I'd like to point out a mistake of one of the reviewers. In Argerich's DG recording of Beethoven concertos, she didn't conduct the orchestra herself. She was paired with conductor Sinopoli. However, she did play with London Sinfonietta without a conductor in her old EMI recording of Beethoven and Haydn concertos.

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Biblical Graffiti

Essential Classics [Box set]

Grateful Heart: Blues and Ballads

At Their Best

Lil' Beethoven [Enhanced] [Extra tracks] [Import]

Goody Goody

Gold Collection: Classic Performances [Import]

Felix Mendelssohn: Prelude & Fugue/Sonatas/Andante With Variations

Georgia Stomps Atlanta Struts (+ Bonus Track) [Import]

Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond

Demon Days [Enhanced] [Limited Edition] [Special Edition]

Despreciado

Exitos del Cha Cha Cha

All Play and No Work

Strange Fruit