Customer Reviews

Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1; Haydn: Piano Concerto No. 11

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Martha Argerich tackles these 2 diverse concertos with equal ease and brilliance, her dazzling, flawless technique serving both composers well. Though I normally don't like such a change in era and mood on a single CD, it somehow works on this one.

The Shostakovich, though it has a beautiful opening melody, and a slow, sorrowful second movement, has for the most part such rambunctious playfulness, with it's almost comical trumpet solo (by Guy Touvrow) that one can almost pictue acrobats and clowns...the music overflows with humor and life, and is perfect for Martha's fleet fingers.

The Haydn is a lovely piece in the traditional classical mode, with a melodic second movement adagio and a robust rondo finish...it's a delight. Recorded in '93, the sound is excellent, and the total running time 41:44. The small booklet insert has a short piece on the music, and another on Argerich, by Jeremy Siepmann, repeating the amazing rumor that she doesn't practice...and that she is "...one of those rare and enviable artists whose seemingly limitless technique comes as naturally to her as breathing".

I remember reading the Gramophone review for this album when it was intially released, and the critic wasn't too happy with it, the major complaints being Argerich's apparent unwillingness to play along with a lackluster orchestra and indifferent trumpeter. After hearing the album for myself, I wonder what that particular critic had for lunch.

I've heard enough versions of the Shostakovich concerto to put this one at the top of my list, even though I'd have to give Carol Rosenberger the top award for playing the Texas-saloon-type passage in the final cadenza with a lot of "swing".
Yes, Martha Argerich *does* sound like she's just one small step ahead of everyone else playing; in a way, it's unavoidable when you consider her flawless and superhuman technique. It's an adventurous performance, sounding as live as it could be for a non-live recording.
The Haydn, on the other hand, gets high marks from me for being a tight, shining performance, plus the rare treat of hearing a non-traditional cadenza (by Wanda Landowska, I think) in the slow movement. The concerto (Haydn's most popular) is flawlessly performed, and very enjoyable.

A word of caution: ignore, completely and without reservation, the comments of our first reviewer who dismissed Ms. Argerich's performance of the Haydn as lacking in "wit, charm and grace." For this performance embodies so much more than these (relatively) minor virtues that he appears to have utterly missed the point. Friends, this is a Haydn you haven't heard before. This is a Haydn you must hear. The playing is Dazzling. Breathtaking. Sublime. No collection of Haydn, or Argerich, should be without this CD.

This disc highlights exactly what is so right, and so wrong, about Martha Argerich's playing. In the Shostakovich, where percussiveness, motor-perfect technique and a sterling touch reign, she is supreme. If your main interest is this piece, this is a good CD to check out for a dramatic, lean and taut reading. However, if you're interested in the Haydn, here Martha falls short, for the usual reasons. She is capable of many things, but wit, charm and grace aren't high on the list. This is Haydn on steroids, and while caffeinated might suit Martha's style it doesn't suit Joseph's. The entire D Major concerto is rushed and colorless, with amazing digital display but no change in pressure or dynamics and no phrasing or line: at the breakneck speed she takes the finale, there's no time to shape anything. The piano sounds big and bangy, out of place for Haydn. I'm no purist, but I also don't think you can import any character into any music, either, and I think it's safe to say that Haydn shouldn't be played like DSCH.

The orchestra that accompanies her, the Wurttemberg Chamber Orchestra, is an ensemble I've never heard of. They do a fine job keeping up with her, and play with great polish, though without any particular signature or style. They are recorded in what I would normally call an overly reverberant acoustic, but here the lushness takes some of the edge off Miss Martha's steely fingers. Still, some of the sound is a bit smudgy--and nuance? Forget nuance when you're going at Warp 7. I can't recommend this recording with more than a modest enthusiasm, and all of it for the Shostakovich, but you may want to check it out if you see it used (read: cheap).