Martha Argerich Edition: Chamber Music
Full track-listing at end of review
Martha Argerich (piano) and friends
rec. 1991-2008. DDD
EMI CLASSICS 50999 0 94014 2 6 [8 CDs: 9:51:00]
This 8 CD boxed set is another in a series to commemorate the art of Martha
Argerich in her 70th birthday year. How lucky we all are as music-lovers
to have the chance - where we don’t already own them - of obtaining these
fantastic performances by a true artist. The title of one of the articles
in the accompanying booklet is “The spirit of collaboration”. That sums up
this set, for Argerich has, for many years, eschewed solo performances in
favour of the collaborative process where she shares the platform with a whole
range of world class colleagues, some very well known and some less so. You
can be sure that if she wants to play with them they are at the very top of
their musical game. I recently reviewed her solo and duos set which I described
as “an embarrassment of riches”; this is an even greater one: 8 CDs of performances
of the works of 9 composers in which she is accompanied by a total of 23 different
musicians! The choice of repertoire cannot be faulted, involves plenty of
variety and shows Argerich as a perfect fellow musician whether in duos, trios,
quartets, quintets or septet.
CD 1 begins the journey with a performance of the Kreutzer
sonata that is so good it is as if one were hearing it for the first time
- as if a last jigsaw piece had been placed to complete the picture that had
eluded you before but is finally revealed. These musicians are the
music so excellence comes as standard. That is the overriding impression that
one is left with at the end of the set; that Argerich has the ability to be
the catalyst that enables the others to perform to their highest possible
capacity. Together they produce performances that are superlative in every
way and that helps the listener to reappraise every work they collaborate
in and see them in a new revealing light. There is no doubt that live concerts
almost always lead to the best performances; there is a saying that is oft
repeated in the world of jazz that “the best jazz performances are never recorded”
being live with no equipment on hand to capture the moment. It is lucky therefore
that that is always the express intention at the festival in Lugano, Saratoga
and everywhere Argerich is involved. With a couple of notable exceptions,
in which she plays with Mischa Maisky at a recital recorded in a studio at
the Conservatoire in Geneva, all the music here was recorded live. This produces
such rapt attention that one is barely aware of any audience, until the deserved
applause reminds us, and we are simply left with the results and benefits
of live performances that are so exceptionally wonderful.
I have reviewed several recordings of the Franck Sonata recently and
remember how highly I praised the version with Shlomo Mintz and Yefim Bronfman
so now I’m in a quandary; how does this compare? Well, I love them equally
and wouldn’t want to be without either. If the two recordings were racehorses
there would have to be a photo finish with a great deal of close examination
with magnifying glasses - not in terms of timings as Argerich and Perlman
are slightly faster and finish before Mintz and Bronfman in each movement
- but if anything Argerich and Perlman find a soupcon of extra subtlety. I’ll
have to leave it in the ear of the listener to hear whether they discern that
too.
CD 2 is of three Beethoven works and one of Chopin. It
opens with Beethoven’s Piano Quartet Wo036 no.3 that is both pure genius and
very well known. The performance is finely measured and full of panache, with
an allegro finale that simply oozes the joy of four supreme musicians relishing
the collective music-making experience. There’s an eruption from the audience
at its close that underlines how this was communicated to them. Beethoven’s
genius is, as they say these days “a given”; there is nothing to say about
the music that has not been said and the same pertains to musicians such as
those on these discs. Their “pedigree” is flawless and, satisfaction is virtually
100% guaranteed. So it is that we have another ravishing rendition in the
shape of Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio with Marek Denemark’s clarinet sounding
sumptuous alongside Mark Drobinsky’s gorgeously rich cello. Once again the
trio’s finale comes with joyous playing which makes the most of Ludwig van’s
innate ability to write a humorous and brilliant theme and variations that
he manages to make sound so simple. Beethoven’s Piano Trio “Ghost” comes next
with another fine performance. The name became attached to it - by others
as is usual in such matters - due to the second movement which has an eerie
sounding theme, perhaps influenced by the fact that Beethoven was contemplating
writing some incidental music for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” at the time. Argerich’s
partners here join with her to emphasise the drama in the music to great effect
and the presto finale comes as light relief. The disc is rounded off with
Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C, op.3. This takes
us into a different world in which romanticism has a far greater influence
on the music than anything Beethoven ever wrote. It sounds almost light and,
dare I say it, frivolous, after the cerebral works of Beethoven that preceded
it. That is not meant in any way to sell it short; it is a great piece and
is played here with the customary aplomb one naturally associates with artists
such as Martha Argerich and Gautier Capuçon. Shrieks of delight from the audience
confirm their assessment is the same.
CD 3 concentrates of one of Argerich’s principal passions: Schumann,
in four works that involve Argerich and one other musician. If there are any
readers who have not yet succumbed to the captivating nature of Schumann’s
music then this disc might very well be the touchstone of a sea-change in
their thinking; it is a wondrous disc. The opening movement of the Violin
Sonata no.1 in A minor, op.105 is achingly poignant and when you know
of Schumann’s mental conflict you can hear it in every note. Her partner here
is the young Swiss violinist Géza Hosszu-Legocky who, the booklet notes, is
equally at home with jazz and gypsy music - his name is Hungarian so that
comes as no surprise - and it is a wonderfully spirited performance as one
might expect with a partner with that background. Next comes Schumann’s Violin
Sonata no.2 in D minor, op.121 in which Argerich is partnered by Renaud
Capuçon, clearly a particularly favoured colleague - he appears on no less
than 10 works in this collection. It opens with a strongly stated theme in
a movement that is lengthy by comparison with the others. Capuçon plays with
real beauty that emphasises the pathos in the work. The playing throughout
is really special and I especially enjoyed the third movement which is tinged
with an almost palpable sadness yet with hope of better things to come. We
are then treated to an exceptionally rare account of the transcription for
flugelhorn of the Fantasiestücke op.73 with trumpet ace Sergei Nakariakov.
It is hard to understand why we don’t hear this transcription more often;
the flügelhorn which is an instrument that comes between bugle and trumpet
is a far easier instrument to “tame” than a horn; whenever there are wrong
notes to be heard in an orchestra the chances are that they come from the
horn section. Once you get used to the fact that you are hearing a brass instrument
rather than a cello the result is quite spellbinding. It is certainly one
of Schumann’s sunnier works and this is a great version to have included in
this set. The disc is completed by Märchenbilder op.113 with Nobuko
Imai as violist. Every time I hear the viola I am reminded of the disparaging
things said about it which I’ve never been able to understand - who could
envisage doing without a viola in chamber music! - and this recording once
again brings into focus what a wonderful instrument it is: rich and sonorous.
I’ve rarely heard a viola sound so much like a cello as it does here, it is
quite remarkable and the melancholic nature of the piece is declared right
from the first movement in beautiful tones. Then, in the second movement comes
the tune we all probably recognise best from this work with both piano and
viola equally making a most powerful statement. The third movement is somewhat
lighter in mood before the finale is reached which is marked Langsam, mit
melancholischem Ausdruck: slow, with melancholic feeling. While the devil
may not have all the best tunes I find more when the mood is
sad and reflective than I do when it’s light and “gay”. This is a wonderful
performance full of pathos and played with feeling and grace.
CD 4 is another all Schumann one with three of his best known
works in great performances. Argerich again exerts her uncanny ability to
draw out the other musicians into producing some outstanding renditons of
these works. Such is the obviously rapt attention given by the audiences that
one has to remind oneself that these are live recordings and are all the better
for being so. The Piano Quintet in E flat, op.44 is particularly fine
and a perfect example of the collaborative process in action with all the
musicians playing marvellously and exemplifying the very nature of an “ensemble”
in which each member is totally “in tune” with the other in the most naturally
musical of ways. The Piano Quartet in E flat, op.47 is no less wondrous
with the brothers Capuçon teaming up again along with Lida Chen giving their
all. This disc finishes with Schumann’s Andante and Variations in B flat,
op.46 that has Alexandre Rabinovitch joining Martha Argerich on piano with
Marie-Luise Neunecker on horn and two fabulous cellists, Natalia Gutman and
Mischa Maisky who together produce a great end to a brilliant disc.
More delights await us with CD 5 beginning with Haydn’s Gypsy
Trio in a bright, airy and altogether delightful account that gives full
vent to Haydn’s wit. It involves some pianism in the first movement that just
has you shaking your head in admiration; the results are so crisp and precise.
There is also wonderful playing from the Capuçons (again!) in the second movement
where the violin carries the theme, and the third from which the trio derives
its nickname. This again has you reacting with wonder as the violin and piano
begin a headlong gallop with the Hungarian-inspired tune racing for the finish,
interrupted only by some variations along the way. The deserved applause follows
at the end of a fabulous superlatively played gem of a trio. The mood is decidedly
different in the next item from the same three with Mendelssohn’s piano
trio. I often wonder how one composer would have regarded the work of another
who came after them. I thought of this again with this trio from a composer
born the same year that Haydn died. Genius and generosity were embodied in
equal measure in ‘Papa’ Haydn and I imagine he would have been hugely admiring
of what Mendelssohn achieved. This trio is a perfect example of how the musical
baton had been taken by someone from the next generation and further developed.
I particularly love the “conversation” that the two strings appear to be having
towards the close of the second movement. It is small wonder that Argerich
chooses to play alongside the Capuçon brothers. They are simply brilliant
and while they can produce heartfelt and world-weary sounds when required
they can also embody their own youth when necessary: just listen to the third
movement to hear what I mean. The final movement here is full of gorgeous
- I’m fast running out of superlatives! - sounds that will have me returning
to this work again very soon. It’s like a good book you want to re-read as
soon as you finish it. Once again the audience’s reaction shows they had also
experienced something very special. It’s back again to Schumann for
the third work with the same trio this time tackling his Fantasiestücke
op.88. The first two movements are in great contrast to each other, the
first being extremely reflective whilst the second is light and happy, marked
as it is Humoresque. For the most part Schumann’s markings leave the
interpreters in no doubt as to mood so when we reach the third movement we
have Duett: Langsam und mit Ausdruck (Slow and with feeling) which
leaves the protagonists with the responsibility of interpreting the degree
to which they should approach it. No problem there with these musicians who
rise to the challenge with their usual aplomb and finesse. The finale is in
march tempo. The last three offerings on this disc are from Debussy
starting with his cello sonata with Mischa Maisky as partner. I have read
many times how the French tend to undervalue their composers; can this really
be the case? I adore Debussy I must say and as a Francophile find his music
embodies so much of what I love about France. The cello sonata is a good example,
being full of heartfelt emotion filtered through a gentle refinement. Debussy
was writing at the same time as the impressionists were painting and perhaps
he, more than most other French composers managed to “paint” his musical canvases:
think of La Mer and Images, for example. The sonata is treated
to a wonderful performance. The last two works are of Maisky’s arrangements
of Debussy’s La plus que lente and Minstrels. These three Debussy
works stand alone, apart from the César Franck that opens disc no.6, as being
studio recordings. The date from December 1981 though they sound as fresh
as if they’d been recorded this year.
CD 6 opens with that studio recording of Franck’s Violin Sonata,
as transcribed for cello. There are works that should be left in their original
form: transcribing them does them no favours. I feel this, amongst others,
especially when it comes to the Barshai arrangements of some of Shostakovich’s
string quartets – even if the composer agreed to them. Renaming them “Chamber
Symphonies” and appending an ‘a’ to the opus number makes no difference to
me. Having got that off my chest I have to say that I do find this transcription
more than acceptable. There is not such a huge difference in sound between
violin and cello; at least they’re in the same ‘family’. Franck’s sonata is
so ravishing it sounds quite at home in the realm of the cello. Maisky’s playing
is highly effective; his cello almost sounds like a viola and, remarkably,
he can play it as fast as a violin! The rest of the disc couldn’t be further
from Franck’s sound-world or from that of the rest of the set as we now come
to Bartók. Both Argerich and Renaud Capuçon show that they are at home
playing “modern” works like these just as much as they are with music from
the classical and romantic periods. The case for the Bartók sonata is cogently
put by them in a powerful performance that is full of feeling. Contrasts
is a wonderful and fascinating work for piano, violin and clarinet. It highlights
Bartók’s love of folk-inspired melodies and Michael Collins’ beautifully ‘fat’
sound is perfect here against the thin and spiky nature of the violin writing.
CD 7 continues with more 20th century works, this time including Shostakovich.
I was very much looking forward to hearing one of my all-time favourite composers
in the hands of Argerich and friends. I was not disappointed. In 1973 Shostakovich
wrote: "Every piece of music is a form of personal expression for
its creator ... If a work doesn’t express the composer’s own personal point
of view, his own ideas, then it doesn’t, in my opinion, even deserve to be
born." The private world of Shostakovich that he explored in his
chamber works and in which he was able to express his innermost thoughts and
feelings is immediately evoked at the outset in his piano quintet, op.57;
his anxieties are almost palpable. It is obvious how well these musicians
know the work which he managed to complete in a few weeks between summer 1940
and September that year. He gave the first performance in November 1940 with
the Beethoven Quartet, for whom he wrote the work. Just as a short story is
said to be more difficult to write than a long novel, a chamber work is also
more difficult to perfect than a large orchestral work. Shostakovich certainly
believed this - and he should know having written 15 symphonies and the same
number of string quartets, dozens of other orchestral works plus numerous
other chamber works, solo piano works - for he wrote: "Chamber music
demands of a composer the most impeccable technique and depth of thought.
I don’t think I will be wrong if I say that composers sometimes hide their
poverty-stricken ideas behind the brilliance of orchestral sound. The timbral
riches which are at the disposal of the contemporary symphony orchestra are
inaccessible to the small chamber ensemble. Thus, to write a chamber work
is much harder than to write an orchestral one." The quintet was
seen as a reflection of the last, fading glimmer of light in a sea of darkness,
coming after the famine caused by collectivisation, the show trials of the
late thirties, and before the war that, by now, the people realised was inevitable.
In his book Not by music alone Rostislav Dubinsky, first violinist
of the Borodin Quartet, recalled that the quintet was even discussed in trams.
People attempted to sing the defiant theme from the finale as a kind of personal
statement of resistance to it all. It even eclipsed the main football teams’
performances as a topic of conversation for a time - try to imagine that happening
on public transport anywhere else! I find this quintet about as perfect as
it could possibly be; it has everything: extreme sadness, resignation, lightness
and humour and defiance. Few, if any other composers, were able to mirror
a people’s feelings more accurately than Shostakovich and thus communicate
a collective expression. Socialist realism was supposed to “speak to all the
people” which Shostakovich certainly managed to do but often in a way the
authorities never meant – small wonder he had his suitcase packed and was
ever ready to be carted off to the gulag! Once again Argerich and friends
turn in a wonderful performance that emphasises all the above-mentioned qualities.
As a child I remember telling my mother I didn’t like chamber music to which
she replied that it was an acquired taste she hoped I would one day acquire.
Well, I certainly did and it opened up a deeply satisfying world. I would
say that those who are either unsure of chamber music or of Shostakovich to
start with this work, for if music means anything to them at all this work
will speak to them in the most direct of ways. The work opens with a Bach-sounding
prelude on piano seemingly foreshadowing his later 24 Preludes and Fugues,
op.87, in which he would pay tribute to JS. The quartet then joins in and
a typically sombre mood is established. The ensuing fugue continues the mood
in which a brooding lyricism is perfectly expressed. The scherzo is presented
as a counter to that mood and is full of Shostakovich’s wonderful sense of
bizarre irony. This is often a feature of his works in which he establishes
a sad plateau after which a cheeky, witty and ironic interlude seems to say
“but we can still have some fun even it has to be privately enjoyed”. It’s
followed by a restatement of the serious world shared by all but finishes
off with a defiant outcry that says “don’t worry, we will win in the end no
matter what!”. Indeed in the quintet any joy expressed in the scherzo is soon
counterpoised by the intermezzo in which feelings of sadness and regret are
perfectly expressed by violins and piano in an almost funereal sounding introduction.
This is followed by the two remaining instruments that enter to help emphasise
and underline the mood. The finale begins by banishing those blue moods with
a light and merry little tune that is a defiant riposte to what went before.
This is the section that Dubinsky remembers as being hummed by ordinary people
to whom this composer’s works meant so much in those dark days. The quintet
ends in a mood of fanciful whimsy to leave the listener with the feeling that
all is not lost; in my mind’s eye I see Stan Laurel with his emphatic downward
head movement when he’s got one over Hardy.
The other Shostakovich work on the disc is his piano trio which he wrote in
1944 in response to the death of his closest friend Ivan Sollertinsky about
whom he wrote: "It is impossible to express in words all the grief
that engulfed me on hearing the news about Ivan Ivanovich’s death. Ivan Ivanovich
was my very closest and dearest friend. I am indebted to him for all my growth.
To live without him will be unbearably difficult". He later said
that whenever he wrote anything afterwards he would always ask himself what
Sollertinsky would have said about it. There is little doubt he would have
approved of this work which, once again, is a perfect construct. Argerich
is joined by Gautier Capuçon and no less a violin great than the brilliant
Maxim Vengerov; the three produce a performance of true quality. The reflective,
elegiac first movement gives way to a wickedly biting scherzo full of Shostakovich’s
characteristic sardonic wit. The third movement is even more sombre than the
first but absolutely beautiful as well as heart-rending. The finale begins
once again as a cheeky little dance with Jewish folk overtones. It is subjected
to improvisation before the mood becomes serious once again with themes from
the previous movements being brought back. The piano suddenly and in a chaconne-like
fashion, calls the rest to order. Against this the violin, followed by the
cello repeat the cheeky dance slowly and in the most otherworldly way - it
speaks as if from another sphere. The trio finishes in a satisfying and reassuring
way, putting the grotesque nature behind it. At the time it was written Shostakovich
wrote a lot of works which incorporated Jewish melodies. In a way he was using
the plight of Jews as a metaphor for the whole of the Russian people and warning
them that anti-Semitism is the thin edge of the wedge. I am minded of the
declaration by Pastor Martin Niemöller when he said: “First they came for
the communists, and I
didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the trade
unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then
they came for the Jews, and
I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.” The more one listens to both
the trio and the quintet the more one can see the justification of Shostakovich’s
point about how hard it is to write a successful chamber work. He seemed to
be able to produce, with apparent relative ease, works that plumb depths of
emotion and almost seem to sum up the human condition, with its inclusion
of serious declarations, its satirical and bitter wit and humour, its defiance,
as well as menacing statements representing the oppressive nature of the State.
These facts are surely proof of his genius.
The disc is completed by Janàček’s Concertino, written
in 1925 but sounding considerably more modern. It has an interesting structure
in that the first movement is for piano and horn alone whilst the second is
for clarinet and piano only. In the two remaining movements those three instruments
are joined by two violins, viola and bassoon. It is as delightful a work as
it is unusual. Janàček had originally intended it to be called “Spring”
and there is certainly much about it that is spring like. It has charm, inventiveness,
lovely themes, an unusual set of instruments and is lovingly played; what
more could anyone ask!
Finally we arrive at the final disc in the set which returns to the music
of Schumann beginning with the Piano Quintet in E flat in a superb
performance – just listen to the scherzo to hear a group of musicians having
the best fun which communicates itself to the listener in the most exciting
way. This is a sunny work full of exuberance and it is hard to imagine it
played better than it is here. Dora Schwarzberg, the violinist on that recording
joins Martha Argerich in the next work, the Violin Sonata No.2 in which we
are in more familiar Schumann territory. Dora Schwarzberg and Martha Argerich
have been playing together for many years and it certainly shows here with
the pair communicating as a true duo, each reacting to the other and creating
an exciting musical experience. This, together with Argerich’s fabulous pianism
and Schwarzberg’s gorgeously rich and sonorous violin playing, showcases this
sonata in the best possible light. The lucky people at the concert in Holland
where this disc was recorded had the treat of hearing both these works on
the same programme plus the very last work on this marvellous set, Schumann’s
Fantasiestücke, op.73, this time in its original version for cello
and piano with Natalia Gutman as cellist. While I really liked the successful
version for flügelhorn from disc 3, there is no doubt when you hear the original
that the cello is the perfect vehicle for this wonderful piece. Gutman is
a brilliant cellist who was taught, amongst others by Rostropovich. Her mellow
tone is lush and the whole piece comes alive in a performance to cherish.
So we come to the end of a set designed to celebrate Argerich’s 70th
birthday in which the record-buying public are the beneficiaries. This wonderfully
rich and varied programme of fabulous performances of some of the greatest
chamber works ever written are offered at a special price considerably less
than the cost of any two of the discs taken separately. This is a set that
no chamber music lover should be without. If you are an Argerich fan as well
and you don’t own these discs already you should not hesitate a moment longer
before adding them to your collection.
Steve Arloff
A set that no chamber music lover should be without.
Full Track-List
CD 1 [59:58]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin Sonata no.9 in A op.47 “Kreutzer” [34:11]
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Violin Sonata in A [25:44]
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
rec. in concert, 30 July 1998, Music from Saratoga, Saratoga Performing Arts
Center, USA,
Balance engineer: John Dunkerley
CD 2 [72:17]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
Piano Quartet in C Wo036 no.3 [18:13]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Lida Chen (viola), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 14 June 2005, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Clarinet Trio in B flat op.11 [18:58]
Marek Denemark (clarinet), Mark Drobinsky (cello)
rec. in concert, 28 June 2002 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Trio in D op.70 no.1 “Ghost” [25:57]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. in concert, 13 June 2007 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Michael Rast
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1847)
Introduction and polonaise brillante in C op.3 [8:45]
Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 23 June 2009, Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
CD 3 [74:34]
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Violin Sonata no.1 in A minor op.105 [15:28]
Géza Hosszu-Logocky (violin)
rec. in concert, 23 June 2004 Audiorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor op.121 [32:32]
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
rec. in concert, 20 June 2008 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
Fantasiestücke op.73 (version for flugelhorn and piano) [10:21]
Sergei Nakariakov (flugelhorn)
rec. in concert, 19 June 2006. Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Märchenbilder op.113 [15:44]
Nobuko Imai (viola)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994 Concertgebouw, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan Allen and Technical
engineer, Graham Kirkby
CD 4 [74:13]
Robert SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E flat op. 44 [27:33]
Dora Schwarzberg, Renaud Capuçon (violins), Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg (viola),
Mark Drobinsky (cello)
rec. in concert, 27 June 2002. Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Quartet in E flat op.47 [27:55]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Lida Chen (viola), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 26 June 2006 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Andante and Variations in B flat op.46 [18:27]
Alexandre Rabinovitch (piano), Marie-Luise Neunecker (horn), Natalia Gutman,
Mischa Maisky (cellos)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994, Concertgebouw.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan Allen and Technical
engineer, Graham Kirkby.
CD 5 [79:31]
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Piano Trio in G Hob.XV:25 (Gypsy Trio) [15:17]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 10 June 2003, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano Trio no.1 in D minor op.49 [26:34]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 25 June 2002 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Robert SCHUMANN
Fantasiestücke op.88 [19:07]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert 21 June, 2009 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Cello Sonata [11:05]
La plus que lente (waltz arr. Maisky) [4:31]
Minstrels (arr. Maisky – Prélude no.12) [2:22]
Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. 29-31 December, 1981 Conservatoire, Geneva, Switzerland.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady.
CD 6 [79:08]
César FRANCK
Cello Sonata in A (transcription of Violin Sonata) [27:23]
Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. 29-31 December, 1981 Conservatoire, Geneva. Balance engineer: Michael
Sheady.
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Violin Sonata no.1 Sz75 [31:47]
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
rec. in concert, 11 June 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Michael Rast.
Contrasts Sz111 [16:44]
Chantal Juillet (violin), Michael Collins (clarinet)
rec. in concert, Music from Saratoga, July and August 1998, Little Theatre,
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, USA.
Balance engineer: John Dunkerley.
CD 7 [77:48]
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Piano Quintet in G minor op.57 [33:38]
Renaud Capuçon, Alissa Margulis (violins), Lida Chen (viola), Mischa Maisky
(cello)
rec. in concert, 21 June 2006 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Trio no.2 in E minor op.67 [34:11]
Maxim Vengerov (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 14 June 2004, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher.
Leos JANÁčEK (1854-1928)
Concertino for piano, two violins, viola, clarinet, horn and bassoon [15:15]
Lucy Hall, Alissa Margulis (violins), Nora Romanoff-Schwartzberg (viola),
Corrado Giuffredi (clarinet), Zora Slokar (horn), Vincent Godel (bassoon)
rec. in concert, 17 June 2008 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller.
CD 8 [72:17]
Robert SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E flat op.44 [29:52]
Dora Schwarzberg, Lucy Hall (violins), Nobuko Imai (viola), Mischa Maisky
(cello)
Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor op.121 [30:06]
Dora Schwarzberg (violin)
Fantasiestücke op.73 [9:51]
Natalia Gutman (cello)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994 Concertgebouw.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan Allen and Technical
engineer, Graham Kirkby.
Performances in Lugano were recorded as part of the Progetto Martha Argerich,
Lugano Festival (Artistic Director: Martha Argerich)
EMI CLASSICS 50999 0 94014 2 6 [8 CDs: 59:58 + 72:17 + 74:34 + 74:13
+ 79:31 + 79:08 + 77:48 + 72:17]