This boxed set is a veritable treasure trove, an embarrassment
of riches, a golden hoard - you come up with the cliché
and I’ll accept it. Released along with other sets to
celebrate her 70th birthday it is a remarkable musical
record of fabulous achievement packed with superlative performances
that simply take the breath away.
The accompanying booklet contains an interesting article on
Martha Argerich (b.1941) which, among other things, notes that
‘The unaffected poetic quality of (her) playing has not
altered since she first came on the scene, as you will hear
in the young pianist’s Chopin recital of 1965...’
Later, however, it says her style of playing has changed since
then compared with ‘the radiant sunny freedom of the live
recordings from the Martha Argerich Project in 21st-century
Lugano’. I cannot comment on that statement. Since I am
not a pianist I cannot dissect playing into all its component
elements but simply report how her playing strikes me and on
listening it is quite simply, superbly, unbelievably, amazing.
The article speaks of her technique recalling the great names
from the ‘golden age of keyboard masters’ Josef
Hoffmann and Rosita Renard’, whereas I would go further
and say I seriously felt I was in the presence of the composer
himself when I listened to the first CD of the set, the solo
disc that begins with her performance of Chopin’s Piano
Sonata No.3 and some mazurkas etc., recorded in 1965.
This was shortly after she stunned the musical world by winning
the Chopin competition in Warsaw by taking three top prizes:
first prize, the audience’s prize and the prize for the
best interpretation of the mazurkas. The article is interesting
in explaining how she was trained by her early teacher Vincenzo
Scaramuzza to use her entire body as ‘the primary vehicle
for the music’ which makes her unique among pianists,
particularly since Scaramuzza never passed on his teaching methods
to anyone else. The effect is electrifying sending shivers down
my spine at every turn - in short I’ve never heard playing
like it. As I say she sounds as if she inhabits the very being
of the Chopin and it is impossible to imagine that he would
have had any issues whatsoever with her interpretations - she
seems that close to his intentions. This goes equally for her
Kinderszenen; Schumann being another great love whose
music she brings a magic touch to, and is surely the reason
why she has always restricted herself to a relatively small
number of composers much as people such as Lipatti and Glen
Gould, among others, also did. Apparently she feels too exposed
and lonely when performing alone so she gave up solo recitals,
except on rare occasions, way back in the 1980s so we can thank
our lucky stars that we have those solo recordings she did make.
Incidentally it was amazing to hear the Chopin followed by the
Schumann since the gap of 42 years is simply closed by both
fabulous playing and brilliant recording.
The playing on every disc is superlative and though I couldn’t
tell which pianist was which in the duos every colleague she
plays with is a true artist - she’d be satisfied with
nothing less. Argerich clearly finds the collaborative process
a creative crucible in which a musical alchemy is achieved and
this is never more apparent than when she plays Mozart’s
Andante and Variations in G K501 with former husband
Stephen Kovacevich on disc 2 in an electrifying performance
that astounds one with the brilliance of the playing as well
as the wit and humour of the music itself which is brought out
in an abundantly clear way.
Disc 3 opens with a spellbinding account of the incidental music
from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Op.21, and with partner Cristina Marton the two pianists
produce some white-hot playing that is nothing short of miraculous.
This performance is followed by a transcription of Brahms’
Piano Quintet Op.34 for two pianos with Lilya Zilberstein and
which makes a powerful argument for its existence as a transcription
which is not surprising because though it is known as one this
is in fact the original scoring that Brahms reworked into the
quintet which is why certain passages of that work sound awkward
to some critics. This disc finishes with the Variations on
a Theme by Joseph Haydn, another brilliant work by Brahms.
The partner on this occasion is Polina Leschenko, a young Russian
pianist with a prodigious talent and, once again, a worthy colleague
for Martha Argerich and the playing here is wonderfully fluid
and silky. Like the previous work this also started life as
a two piano work only later becoming the orchestral version
most of us know, incidentally thought to be the first set of
variations written expressly for orchestra in the history of
music. The work is powerful in both versions and, I think, equally
valid in each.
Disc 4 is devoted to Rachmaninov, another composer Argerich
has made her own and she shares the stage with Lilya Zilberstein
on two of the three works - she appears no less than five times
throughout the boxed set, more than anyone else. The disc begins
with a superb rendition of Rachmaninov’s Suite No.1
Op.5 ending with an extremely powerful statement in the
fourth movement Pâques with the repeated phrase
mounting in intensity to a terrific climax. Gabriela Montero,
a Venezuelan-American pianist partners Martha Argerich in the
Russian composer’s Suite No.2 Op.17 which is another
beautifully executed piece in which the two pianists play with
such staggering synchronicity it is hard to believe they are
at separate pianos, communicating as if by magic, since they
could not see each other. I didn’t know the two suites
but have had so much joy in discovering them; they are ‘classic’
Rachmaninov works that are full of beauty and soul we expect
from the man who was often called ‘the 6 foot tall scowl’,
which may have explained his external persona, whereas his music
really shows the inner being. Reading about Gabriela Montero
is fascinating and I learned that at 18 months she could already
pick out the Venezuelan national anthem on a toy piano; destiny
so often seems to play a role in the forging of a musical prodigy
and she certainly fills that bill and when musical sparks fly
as they do in the second suite it is hardly surprising when
the audience simply erupts at its end. The disc finishes with
Rachmaninov’s Six Morceaux Op.11 with Lilya Zilberstein
again sharing the piano with Argerich for some more pianistic
prestidigitation that conjures up a delectable feast of wondrous
playing.
I was particularly looking forward to hearing the fifth disc
of the set since it has works by some favourite composers of
mine starting with a fascinating prospect: a transcription of
Prokofiev’s first symphony ‘Classical’. It
is as impressive as it promises to be and it really works, with
the two pianists sounding as full as the orchestra does, and
with Yefim Bronfman as partner to Martha Argerich that comes
as no surprise. For anyone who knows and loves the symphony
they will be at turns both intrigued by the transcription (by
Japanese pianist and composer Rikuya Terashima) and bowled over
by the glorious playing. Next is Tchaikovsky’s The
Nutcracker Suite Op.71a transcribed by Cypriot pianist Nicolas
Economou, a long time piano partner of Argerich who was tragically
killed in a motor accident at the early age of 40. Here the
great Argentinean pianist is joined by the young Romanian pianist
Mirabela Dina and Argerich shows that she is equally able to
be hushed and gentle as she is a powerhouse of adrenalin fuelled
intensity. Notes are whispered when necessary - just listen
to tracks 7 and 9 to see what I mean. I was expecting great
things when it came to the third work on the disc with Martha
Argerich plus Lilya Zilberstein taking on my great love: Shostakovich,
and I was not disappointed for one second since the two pianists
tackle the piece with just the right amount of gravitas in the
opening before the playful nature breaks out and the typical
Shostakovich with hair well down shows his insight into the
circus and music hall traditions that stood him in such good
stead when earning money during his student days as a cinema
pianist improvising during the showing of silent films. He wrote
the piece for himself and son Maxim to play together, in 1953.
Once again there are shrieks of delight from the audience at
its climax and understandably so. With Alexander Mogilevsky
the next item on this fabulous compilation set of Martha Argerich
recordings is Ravel’s suite Ma Mère l’Oye
which once again shows her capacity for gentle and delicate
playing called for in so much of Ravel’s works. This work
was written for and dedicated to Mimi and Jean Godebski (aged
6 and 7) and bears the subtitle ‘Five pieces for children’.
The children in question must have been very good little pianists
to follow all the changes in tempo and from quiet almost whispered
passages to those demanding both power and fleetness of fingers.
The two greats here produce wonderful sounds that help you rediscover
the piece anew and place it properly where it deserves to be
as a beautiful piano work worthy of being played by any pianist
of note who cares to take it on. The next two tracks are interesting
in that they are of the same work Lutosławski’s Variations
on a Theme by Paganini but with Martha Argerich being joined
by two different pianists (Giorgia Tomassi and Mauricio Vallina)
and recorded four years apart. I have to confess that I cannot
tell the difference between the two versions; they are both
superb and with only 8 seconds between them are almost mirror
images. It is a great work, a tough challenge and really enjoyable,
and if you want to hear some playing at breakneck speed there
are several examples here.
Sharing a work for two pianos must require not just a collective
vision of how a piece should be tackled but must also require
other special abilities that are perhaps not immediately obvious.
I should imagine it is quite taxing unless the piece is fairly
short so when it comes to the final disc in the set it almost
beggars belief that the first work is Messiaen’s mighty
Visions de l’Amen that lasts an incredible 47+
minutes. One thing is for sure: Martha Argerich certainly chose
her partner for this well since Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky
is a composer as well as pianist and is one of the earliest
composers of the minimalist school (he’s credited with
having composed the very first minimalist work for orchestra).
This would certainly enable him to get to grips with Messiaen’s
special sound-world and, Messiaen is another favoured composer
of Martha’s. It is a fantastic work, truly monumental
in terms of a piano work requiring some hushed playing as well
as some that would put any piano to the ultimate test of its
construction. Messiaen needs listening to again and again if
you don’t get it immediately but what rewards there are
if you persevere! Messiaen had an uncanny way of taking you
out of your own world and into a totally different one where
space and time seem suspended and I find myself being incredibly
moved by it so for the music lover who can appreciate his music
and who is also a religious person the experience must be quite
spellbinding. Messiaen’s encyclopaedic knowledge of birdsong
- he considered himself to be as much an expert in that field
as he did in music - comes into play as is often the case in
his works and is always supremely interesting and beautiful.
This recording was made in Abbey Road Studios in London in 1989
or I would have expected the applause to have lifted the roof
off. After a work like that you need to be let down gently and
that’s just what happens here as Messiaen’s mighty
work is followed by Tres Romances argentinos Op.2 by
Carlos Guastavino. These three little pieces are charming evocations
of Latin American joie de vivre but seen through a prism of
some of the great romantic pianist-composers of Europe such
as Rachmaninov, Albeniz and Granados, Guastavino having eschewed
the more contemporary paths chosen by other Argentinean composers
like Ginastera but clearly influenced by the previous generation
such as Alberto Williams and Juliàn Aguirre. With Mauricio
Vallina as the other pianist Martha Argerich has a colleague
who, coming from Cuba, shows a complete empathy with the feelings
expressed in this music and the result is an extremely satisfying
experience. To finish of this final disc we stay in Argerich’s
home country with Astor Piazzolla that high priest of the Argentinean
tango with his Three Tangos and sharing the music this
time is Eduardo Hubert a fellow Argentine and who made these
arrangements. I’ve read criticism of Martha Argerich for
bothering with music that cannot be strictly described as ‘classical’
or ‘serious’ and that, if she must, then that it
is a shame she plays Hubert’s arrangements which the writer
did not deem worthy. All I can say is I enjoyed them and the
playing is as expected, marvellous, and that the audience appreciated
the performance as evidenced by the shouts. They could be described
as ‘lollipops’ but is that a reason for not playing
them? Someone like Martha Argerich may very well feel it important
to show she can let her hair down - metaphorically, since her
hair is still as long as it was when she first shot to prominence
in the 1960s! - and I have sympathy with that since it shows
a human side of her rarely glimpsed at otherwise as she is renowned
for her shunning of publicity which may also help explain her
reticence in playing solo; she wants us to concentrate on the
music rather than on her.
This boxed set certainly shows all the music to its greatest
advantage with every composer served magnificently by Martha
Argerich and her chosen colleagues and, as I said in the beginning,
I cannot imagine any composer from Mozart to Guastavino taking
issue with her over interpretations. This is a set any piano
music lover will treasure forever and no one will want to be
without it once it’s theirs. I have only one criticism
which concerns the accompanying booklet which, though it includes
an interesting article about Martha Argerich herself, says little
about the music and nothing at all about any of the fellow interpreters
which seems to me to be insulting to some great pianists who
deserve better.
Steve Arloff
Full contents listing
CD1
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1849)
Piano Sonata No.3 in B minor Op.58
1. I. Allegro maestoso [8:45]; 2. II. Scherzo: Molto vivace
[2:36]; 3. III. Largo [8:33]; 4. IV. Finale: Prest, non tanto
[4:41]
5. Mazurka in A minor Op.59 No.1 [3:47]; 6. Mazurka in A flat
Op.59 No.2 [2:49]; 7. Mazurka in F sharp minor Op.59 No.3 [2:58];
8. Nocturne in F Op.15 No.1 [3:34]; 9. Scherzo No.3 in C sharp
minor Op.39 [7:01]; 10. Polonaise héroïque in A
flat Op.53 [6:35]
Recorded 23, 24, 27 June, 1965 in No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London,
England
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Kinderszenen Op.15
11. I. Von fremden Ländern und Menschen [1:43]; 12. II.
Kuriose Geschichte [1:09]; 13. III. Hasche-Mann [0:26]; 14.
IV. Bittendes Kind [0:56]; 15. V. Glückes genug [0:58];
16. VI. Wichtige Begebenheit [0:50]; 17. VII. Träumerei
[2:40]; 18. VIII. Am Kamin [0:46]; 19. IX. Ritter vom Steckenpferd
[0:39]; 20. X. Fast zu Ernst [1:56]; 21. XI. Fürchtenmachen
[1:41]; 22. XII. Kind im Einschlummern [2:05]; 23. XIII. Der
Dichter spricht
Recorded in concert 24 June, 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland. Total time:[70:35]
CD2
Robert SCHUMANN
1. Andante and Variations Op.46 for two pianos [13:23] with
Gabriela Montero:piano
Recorded in concert 21 June, 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756-1791)
2. Andante and Variations in G K501 for piano four hands [7:19]
with Stephen Kovacevich: piano
Recorded in concert 21 June, 2008, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Piano Sonata in C K545 with a freely added arrangement for a
second piano by Edvard GRIEG (1843-1907) 3. I. Allegro [4:43];
4. II. Andante [7:14]; 5. III. Rondo: Allegretto [2:14] with
Piotr Anderszewski: piano. Recorded in concert 16 June, 2005,
Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Ferruccio BUSONI (1866-1924) Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART
6. Fantasie für eine Orgelwalze [10:03] with Lilya Zilberstein:
piano. Recorded in concert 18 June, 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo,
Lugano, Switzerland
Franz LISZT (1811-1886)
Reminiscences de Don Juan for two pianos S656
7. I. Grave [2:43]; 8. II. Duetto: Andantino [2:55]; 9. III.
Allegretto [6:11]; 10. IV. Presto [3:40] with Mauricio Vallina:
piano. Recorded in concert 29 June, 2009, Auditorio Stelio Molo,
Lugano, Switzerland
Concerto pathétique in E minor S258
11. Allegro energico- Grandioso - Quasi fantasia - Andante sostenuto
- Allegro agitato assai - Andante, quasi Marcia funebre - Più
mosso - Allegro trionfante [18:30] with Nelson Freire: piano.
Recorded in concert as part of Music from Saratoga, July &
August, 1998, Little Theatre, Saratoga Performing Arts Centre,
USA. Total time:[79:41]
CD3
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Op.21 - Incidental music
1. Overture [10:42]; 2. Scherzo [4:15] with Cristina Marton:
piano. Recorded in concert 27 June, 2009, Auditorio Stelio Molo,
Lugano, Switzerland
Johannes BRAHMS (1833-1897)
Sonata in F minor Op.34b for two pianos (Transcription of Piano
Quintet Op.34)
3. I. Allegro non troppo [14:11]; 4. II. Andante, un poco adagio
[7:59]; 5. III. Scherzo: Allegro [6:57]; 6. IV. Finale: Poco
sostenuto - Allegro non troppo - Presto non troppo [10:10] with
Lilya Ziberstein: piano. Recorded in concert 24 June 2002, Auditorio
Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn op.56b for two pianos
7. Chorale ‘St Anthony’: Andante [1:47]; 8. Variation
I: Andante con moto [1:02]; 9. Variation II: Vivace [0:56];
10. Variation III: Con moto [1:47]; 11. Variation IV: Andante
[1:50]; 12. Variation V: Poco Presto [0:47]; 13. Variation VI:
Vivace [1:10]; 14. Variation VII: Grazioso [2:53]; 15. Variation
VIII: Poco Presto [0:47]; 16. Finale: Andante [4:10] with Polina
Leschenko: piano. Recorded in concert 23 June, 2005, Auditorio
Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland. Total time: [71:41]
CD4
Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
Suite No.1 Op.5 for two pianos
1. I. Bacarolle [7:56]; 2. II. La nuit...l’Amour [5:55];
3. III. Les Larmes [6:14]; 4. IV. Pâques [3:24] with Lilya
Zilberstein: piano. Recorded in concert 11 June, 2008, Auditorio
Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Suite No.2 Op.17 for two pianos
5. I. Introduction [3:44]; 6. II. Valse [5:31]; 7. III. Romance
[6:58]; 8. IV. Tarantelle [5:53] with Gabriela Montero: piano.
Recorded in concert 22 June, 2003, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Six Morceaux Op.11
9. I. Bacarolle [5:12]; 10. II. Scherzo [2:56]; 11. III. Thème
russe [4:12]; 12. IV. Valse [3:56]; 13. V. Romance [3:28]; 14.
VI. Slava [4:35] with Lilya Zilberstein: piano. Recorded in
concert 22 June, 2003, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland.
Total time: [70:09]
CD5
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
Symphony No.1 in D Op.25 ‘Classical’, transcribed
by Rikuya Terashima
1. I. Allegro [4:11]; 2. II. Larghetto [3:55]; 3. III. Gavotte:
Non troppo allegro [1:31]; 4. IV. Fianle: Molto vivace [4:13]
with Yefim Bronfman: piano. Recorded in concert 22 June, 2003,
Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
The Nutcracker Suite Op.71a, transcribed by Nicolas Economou
5. I. Ouverture miniature [3:05]; II. Danses caractéristiques
6. a. Marche: Tempo di Marcia viva [2:22]; 7. b. Marche de la
fée Dragée: Andante non troppo [2:24]; 8. c. Danse
russe - Trépak: Tempo di Trepak, molto vivace [1:05];
9. d. Danse arabe: Allegretto [3:16]; 10. e. Danse chinoise:
Allegro moderato [0:59]; 11. f. Danse des mirlitons: Moderato
assai [2:12]; 12. III. Valse des fleurs [6:53] with Mirabela
Dina: piano. Recorded in concert 22 June, 2003, Auditorio Stelio
Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
13. Concertino in A minor Op.94 for two pianos [9:46] with Lilya
Zilberstein: piano
Adagio - Allegretto - Adagio - Allegro - Adagio - Allegretto.
Recorded in concert 25 June, 2006, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Maurice RAVEL (1875-1937)
Ma Mère l’Oye - Suite
14. I. Pavane de la Belle au Bois dormant [1:22]; 15. II. Petit
Poucet: Très modéré [2:46]; 16. III. Laideronette,
impératrice des pagodes: Mouvement de marche [2:47];
17. IV. Les Entretiens de la Belle et la Bête: Mouvement
de valse modéré [4:28]; 18. V. Le Jardin féerique:
Lent et grave [2:57] with Alexander Mogilevsky:piano. Recorded
in concert 15 June, 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
Witold LUTOSŁAWSKI (1913-1994)
19. Variations on a Theme by Paganini [5:27] with Giorgia Tomassi:
piano. Allegro capriccioso - Meno mosso - Poco lento - Allegro
molto - Più mosso - Ancora più mosso - Ancora
più mosso. Recorded in concert 22 June, 2003, Auditorio
Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland
20. Variations on a Theme by Paganini [5:35] with Mauricio Vallina:
piano. Recorded in concert 15 June, 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo,
Lugano, Switzerland. Total time: [71:57]
CD6
Olivier MESSIAEN (1908-1992)
Visions de l’Amen
1. I. Amen de la Création [4:32]; 2. II. Amen des étoiles,
de la planète à l’anneau [5:09]; 3. III.
Amen de l’Agonie de Jésus [9:04]; 4. IV. Amen de
Désir [11:29]; 5. V. Amen des Anges, des Saints, du chant
des oiseaux [7:48]; 6. VI. Amen du Jugement [2:52]; 7. VII.
Amen de la Consommation [6:26] with Alexandre Rabinovitch:piano.
Recorded 2-3 December, 1989 in No.1 Studio, Abbey Road, London,
England
Carlos GUASTAVINO (1912-2000)
Tres Romances argentines Op.2
8. I. Las niñas de Santa Fe [5:16]; 9. II. Muchacho Jujeño
[5:10]; 10. III. Baile en Cuyo [7:45] with Mauricio Vallina:piano.
Recorded in concert 14 June, 2005, Auditotio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Astor PIAZZOLLA (1921-1992)
Three Tangos, transcribed by Eduardo Hubert
11. Tres minutos con la realidad [3:06] 12. Obliviòn
[4:40]; 13. Libertango [3:06] with Eduardo Hubert: piano. Recorded
in concert 24 June, 2008, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano, Switzerland.
Total time: [77:06]
Martha Argerich (piano) other performers listed below
