Customer Reviews

Schumann: Piano Concerto & Fantasiestücke, Op.12

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Among the latest releases in EMI's "Great Artists of the Century" series, this CD is an excellent overview of acclaimed Argentine pianist Martha Argerich's career as a soloist pianist recorded by EMI, from both now and the 1970s, compiled from two recently issued recordings. She has recorded Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor at least three times in the past twenty years; once each for Teldec (now Warner Classics), Deutsche Grammophon, and EMI. Her latest recording is from a live concert in Lugano, Italy in 2002, backed by the Orchestra della Svizerra italiana under the baton of Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky. Hers is a fiery, emotionally intense performance, underscoring her still formidable technique, and sounding vividly fresh, with ample dramatic range. In the liner notes critic Bryce Morrison observes how she tries to tackle each performance of this veritable piano concerto classic as if it was entirely new and unpredictable; this is most certainly the case in this riveting live performance.

As much as I admire her latest recording of the Schumann piano concerto, the true gems on this CD are her intense, brilliant performances of Schumann's Fantastucke and Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit from a 1978 live recording of a solo recital at Amsterdam's legendary Het Concertgebouw. Both works are a splendid demonstration of her emotionally intense, technically brilliant playing, with the Schumann illustrating a more gentle, lyrical side, and the Ravel underscoring her fiery playing, as if she was possessed by a demon. More of her dramatic intensity at the keyboard can be heard in her encore performance of Ginastera's three brief Danzas argentinas; her musical tribute to the late great Argentine composer. EMI must be commended for issuing this splendid compilation of some of Argerich's best recordings for its label.

The long review below gives all the details of this CD, which combines a live Schumann concerto from 2002 and part of a recital from The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam in 1978. Argerich fans will already own both, and newcomers will be entranced. I have not always been a great admirer--Argerich is capable of willful playing and erratic interpretations. But the Schumann, delivered with utmost improvisation, ranks as one of a kind. It far outstrips her clangorous reading under Harnoncourt on Teldec. Be prepared for a less than world class Italian orchestra; the first entry of the feeble oboe and wobbly horn is a shock. But Argerich is the whole show. Among the Amsterdam pieces her Ravel Gaspard de la Nuit is the most astonishing.

Martha Argerich is no stranger to contraversy. Her performances throughout the last half century have been so flamboyant and her excitement unparalleled, but her interpretations are the main focus of the contraversy, because she often seems to draw more attention to herself than to the pieces themselves and their musical qualities. However, no performer that I have ever heard has put so much life into the pieces as she - excitement and passion flow freely from her fingers. The Schumann concerto is very beautiful (although not one of my favorite concertos), and tastefully played (I only have one other recording of this concerto, and really disliked the other one, so I don't have much to compare it to). Schumann's Fantasiestucke is a very beautiful set, and thoughtfully composed. I don't like the anticlimactic ending of the set, but there are some notable highlights, particularly "Aufschwung", "In Der Nacht" and "Fabel". I also really enjoy "Traumes Wirren", a technical powerhouse that Argerich tackles with an amazing blend of ease and excitement. The real highlight of this CD is Ravel's masterpiece "Gaspard de la Nuit". "Ondine" is amazingly beautiful - Argerich executes the runs and tremelos with amazing ease and velocity and doesn't take away from the musical qualities of the piece - she vividly portrays the musical colors Ravel had in mind (this is probably my favorite impressionistic piece, besides possibly Ravel's "Jeux D'Eau"). The middle movement is morbid in its imagery of a corpse hanging and the unrelenting B-flat that is quite effective. "Scarbo" is known to be one of the most difficult pieces ever composed for piano solo, Ravel himself claimed to be trying to make it more difficult than Balakirev's "Islamey." Argerich plays this piece with such passion and technical control that I will forever envy everyone who was able to attend this live performance. Ginastera's dances are a great addition to the rest of the CD - almost a full 80 minutes for a price less than most classical CDs. Although all of these performances are live, the sound quality is excellent (although there is some annoying caughing from the audience throughout much of "Gaspard" - this still doesn't take away from enjoying the recording, though). Definitely a good deal that you will not regret buying.

This disc is one of my favorites CDs of all time. It introduced me to the Schumann concerto, and is by far my favorite version to listen to. It's one of the 3 discs I would carry with me to the proverbial desert island. The first time I listened to it, I listened to the cadenza over and over. Then I got to the recording of the Ravel and POW I could not stop listening to it.

The Schumann concerto is not a perfect recording by any means - Argerich plunges through the piece with such voracity and confidence that the conductor Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky has trouble keeping up at some points, especially in the first movement, and Argerich herself wobbles a few times with the tempi. However, she is unmatched for technical brilliance, and also for her insight into Schumann's tortured, emotional mind. The highs are nearly Icarian, the lows ponder dipping a toe into the River Lethe. The recording quality is also very good, with slightly more brass and piano reverb than I would like, but what matters is that you can hear every detail of Martha's brilliant playing - especially during the cadenza.

However much I like the Schumann concerto (and the Fantasiestuecke, which I have a special fondness for having played many of them as a child), the real stars of this disc is the Ravel.

In my mind, MA is the unequivocal master of Gaspard. It's impossible not to compare other recordings to this one from 1978, live at the Concertgebouw. While others may stand out for one quality or another, this is the one I come back to again and again. It's luxurious, impish, powerful, seductive, fleeting, effortless, demonic, elegiac, sparkling, restless, and a million other adjectives. I think the defining quality is how easy she makes both Ondine & Scarbo sound. Every other recording I've heard, you can hear how fiendishly difficult the Scarbo is and the performer's leaps of faith hoping that he/she will hit the right notes. Not Martha - who plays it like it's just some little, cute Chopin etude. For that reason, no one else comes close for me - not Cluytens, not Samson Francois, not Michaelangeli, and not Martha's recording on DG from 1974 (all worthy versions to have).

The Ginastera danzas are dazzling as well, especially the brilliantine 3rd dance. A great way to end the disc.