Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric François Chopin, Franz Joseph Haydn, Ferencz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Sergei Prokofiev, Maurice Ravel, Robert Schumann, Dmitri Shostakovich, Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performer: Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer, Guy Touvron
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker, London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra Washington, Philharmonia Orchestra, Philharmonia Hungarica, Württembergisches Kammerorchester Heilbronn, Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Claudio Abbado, Charles Dutoit, Mstislav Rostropovich, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Jörg Faerber
Number of Discs: 7
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Release: 2009
Size: 1.78 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: cover
CD 01
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26
01. 1. Andante – Allegro
02. 2. Tema con variazioni
03. 3. Allegro ma non troppo
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
04. 1. Allegramente
05. 2. Adagio assai
06. 3. Presto
CD 02
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
01. I. Allegro maestoso
02. II. Romance. Larghetto
03. III. Rondo. Vivace
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major, S124
04. I. Allegro maestoso
05. II. Quasi adagio – Allegretto vivace – Allegro animato
06 .III. Allegro marziale animato
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major
07. I. Allegramente
08. II. Adagio assai
09. III. Presto
CD 03
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
01. I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
02. II. Andantino semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo I
03. III. Allegro con fuoco
Mendelssohn: Concerto in D minor for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra
04. I. Allegro
05. II. Adagio
06. III. Allegro molto
CD 04
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54
01. I. Allegro affettuoso
02. II. Intermezzo. Andantino grazioso
03. III. Allegro vivace
Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
04. I. Maestoso
05. II. Larghetto
06. III. Allegro vivace
CD 05
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op. 15
01. 1. Allegro con brio (Cadenza by Beethoven)
02. 2. Largo
03. 3. Rondo (Allegro scherzando)
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19
04. 1. Allegro con brio (Cadenza by Beethoven)
05. 2. Adagio
06. 3. Rondo (Molto allegro)
CD 06
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet & strings, Op. 35
01. 1. Allegro moderato
02. 2. Lento
03. 3. Moderato
04. 4. Allegro brio
Haydn: Keyboard Concerto No. 11 in D major, HobXVIII:11
05. 1. Vivace
06. 2. Un poco Adagio (Cadenza By Wanda Landowska)
07. 3. Rondo all’Ungarese: Allegro assai
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23
08. 1. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito
09. 2. Andantino semplice – Prestissimo – Tempo I
10. 3. Allegro con fuoco
CD 07
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
01. 1. Allegro con brio
02. 2. Largo
03. 3. Rondo (Allegro)
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19
04. 1. Allegro con brio
05. 2. Adagio
06. 3. Rondo (Molto allegro)
Following the first volume of solo recordings, Vol. 2 of the Martha Argerich Collection features seven discs of the artist’s treasured concerto recordings. Listeners who have not already heard the majority of these performances owe it to themselves to start now; this collection truly contains the vast majority of Argerich’s most significant performances and legendary collaborations. From the cleanliness and precision of her Beethoven with Sinopoli, to the unbridled passion of her Schumann with Rostropovich, to the sheer elegance of her Ravel with Abbado, Argerich is an artist with nearly limitless technical capacity, interpretive abilities, and variety of color and tone. While all of the 16 concertos heard here are performed with the utmost in tempered musical expressiveness and precision, there are two definite standouts. Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, performed with her then-husband Charles Dutoit and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is filled with as much power and vehemence as could ever be expected. Coupled with the surprising muscularity of Argerich’s playing is a gracefully nimble touch in the concerto’s rapid passagework that will capture listeners’ attention from note one. Prokofiev’s Third Concerto is a work with which Argerich has had a very special relationship, earning her high marks for her singular interpretation of the fiendishly difficult concerto. The recording featured here with Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic is among the finest made of the piece.
Just 10 months ago we released the first volume in the new Martha Argerich Collection (the solo recodings). Over 10,000 boxes of the 8-CD set have been sold since then.
Here now is Volume 2 – the Concerto Recordings, on 7 CDs, comprising all of her concerto recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, from her scintillating début playing Prokofiev and Ravel under Claudio Abbado in 1967 to her most recent collaboration with the same conductor in 2004. In between come classic recordings of Chopin, Liszt, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven with Charles Dutoit, Mstislav Rostropovich and Giuseppe Sinopoli, as well as a memorable collaboration with Gidon Kremer (in Mendelssohn) and dazzling virtuosity in Haydn and Shostakovich.
The cover is still more alluring, the contents equally fascinating, and the packaging just as attractive – with original LP-cover artwork, new liner notes (by Jed Distler again) and rare photos. The recordings have been newly mastered for this release.
This box will be followed up by one more to include Martha Argerich’s complete Chamber Ensemble recordings for Deutsche Grammophon (2010).