Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 / Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 [Live]

Martha Argerich | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 9, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B00004LCAQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,508 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joyous Playing, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 / Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 (Audio CD)

This is my favorite Mozart concerto, and this is the most joyous performance of it that I've ever heard. Miss Argerich plays in a manner that feels robust and healthy compared to some Mozart "specialists," and yet she never overwhelms the music itself. There is an inordinate amount of audience coughing which all seems to be coming from the same consumptive source, and it is maddening that it mars such a wonderful performance, but it shouldn't keep you from listening. Coughing isn't a problem in the Beethoven Concerto #1, but the orchestra sounds like they have just eaten a heavy meal of bratwurst and sauerkraut and are a bit sluggish compared to Argerich, who is witty, intelligent and delightful throughout, turning even the simplest scale runs into glittering cascades.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Argerich yes, Mozart maybe, Coughing .. no., May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 / Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 (Audio CD)

Martha Argerich is my favourite pianist. I declare that up-front. The OTHER recording in this series, of her solo concertgebouw recitals ("Martha Argerich Live From the Concertgebouw 1978 & 1979"), is a must-have demonstration of unbelieveable virtuosity across a vast musical spectrum.

This one, however, I have doubts about. Mozart has always seemed to me to be Argerich's one sticking point - amazing rather than involving; almost as if her phenomenonal technique causes an embarassment of riches at the expense of the apparent simplicity that seems to me to be the essence of truly great Mozart playing. I'm in the 'less is more' camp when it comes to Mozart - Argerich has so much power at her command that, to me, it seems at times to overwhelm the music.

The same can not be said of her Beethoven, whose more percussive writing for a rather more evolved piano than Mozart had to work with is far more suited to her astonishingly powerful yet articulate fingerwork. The 3rd movement, especially, seems to me to unlock everything Beethoven had in mind when he wrote it. However, she has already recorded Beethoven 1&2 in the studio, and there seems to me nothing here that makes this recording preferable.

And, indeed, almost any other recording scenario would probably be preferable! This one was recorded by Netherlands radio in the Concertgebeouw, apparently at the height of the cough and 'flu season. The recording itself is of a reasonable quality, but extraneous noise is frequently very pronounced, even over quite loud orchestral tuttis, and especially in the slow movements. Not for audiophiles! Frankly, EMI's release of this quality of live recording at full price, even given that it is Argerich, seems unlikely to win them many friends.

All in all, given that Argerich has recorded Beethoven 1&2 under rather more ideal studio conditions, one can only really recommend this recording to those who are die-hard fans or those who like her rather Beethoven-esque approach to Mozart (they will be similarly impressed, incidentally, by the Teldec recording of Mozart 20 with Rabinovitch conducting, in which she introduces Mozart to Tchaikovsky in a thought-provoking, original and extremely presto way, but again not ultimately one I personally like after several listenings).

If you only buy one CD this year, this should probably not be it, but the other one in this series probably should. Never again will you hear Ginastera's Danzas Argentinas played like this. Go there without delay and buy it .. but remember to sit down before you listen to track 14!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wit, energy, and joy! A choice disk..., June 23, 2002

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Live from the Concertgebouw, 1978 & 1992 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 / Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 15 (Audio CD)

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!