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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Martha Argerich's reputation is secure. She will go down in history as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, touching everything she does with a scorching genius. And of her all-too-few recordings, this is one of the most celebrated: live performances of two of the great warhorses of the piano concerto repertoire, here transformed into the sleekest, most finely honed of racehorses. Tantalisingly, her Rachmaninov Third had to wait 13 years before it was issued, but when it finally arrived no one was in any doubt that it had been worth the wait. Its epic 45-minute span emerges here as a single stream of consciousness, with the finale as brilliantly explosive as you'll ever hear it. In the Tchaikovsky (from two years earlier), too, it doesn't matter that the opening is one of the most hackneyed things in all music--Argerich's performance is a one-off. High praise should also be heaped upon conductors and orchestras for keeping up with this most volatile of artists without upset. There is no need to hesitate: if you love these pieces, this recording demands a place on your shelves. --Harriet Smith
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There are good performances and very good performances. Then there are performances like this...
Argerich's Rachmaninov 3rd is one of those very rare performances which seem to transcend the composition itself; in her hands it becomes greater music than we knew it to be.
Throughout, her playing and that of the RSO is alert, probing, compelling. The Allegro is brooding, flowing, tension-filled; touching, yet with a sense of massive energy barely held under control. The Intermezzo is wonderfully expressive; shifting in an instant from solitary melancholy to full-blown tragedy, and always with a sense of the explosion to come. In the finale itself, the tension is finally released; there is everything from blistering passion to the dancing of angels. The first time I heard it, I was moved to tears.
Incidentally, the Tchaikovsky is also very, very good; not quite great, but well worth having.
There is nothing to think about, nothing to compare this with; if you want Rachimaninov's 3rd (or even if you don't!) you should buy this.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Martha Agerich! That reclusive super-genious of the semi-modern front ranks of poetic pianism! No one can or ever could quite nail the romantic warhorses of the piano as she did. Especially the absolute finest of the Rach. 3rd and the Tch. 1st ever recorded live or otherwise. Such wonderful commitment she brings to the grand structures of these magnificent works. Her thunderous octaves, exquisite intimacy in the quieter passages, and the total fire she puts forth toward the audience could surely never be surpassed! There couldn't be finer support from the stunning orchestras and conductors, either. An absolute must at any price!
Format:Audio CD
I've heard,and own,more than a few,comes of being 65.But if anyone seriously thinks that any other recording comes anywhere near this one for virtuosity and interpretation then they must have very strange parameters of judgement.
I only own one recording of anything which makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,and this is it.
What a pity we have so little of her,I'm listening to Axe chewing his way through Brahms 2 on the proms whilst I write this,what would I give for an Argerich version.The difference? Axe is clearly trying,Argerich would'nt need to.
A force of nature,they called her,unrepeatable genius.
Robin Haywood
I only own one recording of anything which makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,and this is it.
What a pity we have so little of her,I'm listening to Axe chewing his way through Brahms 2 on the proms whilst I write this,what would I give for an Argerich version.The difference? Axe is clearly trying,Argerich would'nt need to.
A force of nature,they called her,unrepeatable genius.
Robin Haywood
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Shame!
I thought that this might be the ultimate recording of these two great Russian piano concerti. I fear that only the Tchaikovski got close to my expectations. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Barumite
Argerich wallows in sentimentality, but fails to deliver inward beauty
I am a real Rachmaninov fan. Few composers receive as large a share of my musical appreciation as Rachmaninov. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Andrew R. Barnard
Too fast, too furious
Maybe this version of Rachmaninov 3 is not the the fastest, but it sounds too fast. What kind of concerto is this? Read more
Published 22 months ago by Dr Karl
The greatest Rach 3
This is the greatest Rach 3 on record, a performance of blistering virtuosity and whimsical poetry. Argerich gets her tigress' claws into this piece and there are some... Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2010 by Mr Swallow
passionate but over hungry
As to the Rachmaninov recording:
I agree with many Argerich lovers that she has a passionate heart and playing. Read more
I agree with many Argerich lovers that she has a passionate heart and playing. Read more
Published on 8 Nov 2007 by Gerrit Spriet
Utterly fabulous playing
I always thought this concerto overlong and bombastic. How wrong I was. Argerich's long awaited live performance is stupendous. Turn it up loud and be blown away . Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2000
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