Oct 24, 2017

RhoDeo 1743 Roots

Hello, an extensive post today, no less then 8 albums by an an Argentine classical pianist, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the second half of the 20th century.. Classical music they say it's good for the brain and here it's brought to you with plenty of soul aswell   ....N'Joy

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Argerich was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her paternal ancestors were Catalans based in Buenos Aires since the 18th century. Her maternal grandparents were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire, who settled in Colonia Villa Clara in the Entre Ríos province—one of the colonies established by Baron de Hirsch and the Jewish Colonization Association. The provenance of the name Argerich is Catalonia, Spain. She started playing the piano at age three. At the age of five, she moved to teacher Vincenzo Scaramuzza, who stressed to her the importance of lyricism and feeling. Argerich gave her debut concert in 1949 at the age of eight.

The family moved to Europe in 1955, where Argerich studied with Friedrich Gulda in Austria. Juan Perón, then the president of Argentina, made their decision possible by appointing her parents to diplomatic posts in the Argentine Embassy in Vienna. She later studied with Stefan Askenase and Maria Curcio. Argerich also seized opportunities for brief periods of coaching with Madeleine Lipatti (widow of Dinu Lipatti), Abbey Simon, and Nikita Magaloff. In 1957, at sixteen, she won both the Geneva International Music Competition and the Ferruccio Busoni International Competition within three weeks of each other. It was at the latter that she met Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, whom she would later seek out for lessons during a personal artistic crisis at the age of twenty, though she only had four lessons with him in a year and a half. Her greatest influence was Gulda, with whom she studied for 18 months.


Argerich performed her debut concert at the age of 8, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor and Beethoven's First Piano Concerto in C major. Argerich rose to international prominence when she won the seventh International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1965, at age 24. In that same year, she debuted in the United States in Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series. In 1960, she had made her first commercial recording, which included works by Chopin, Brahms, Ravel, Prokofiev, and Liszt; it received critical acclaim upon its release in 1961. In 1967, she recorded Chopin's Polonaise, Op. 53.

Argerich has often remarked in interviews of feeling "lonely" on stage during solo performances. Since the
1980s, she has staged few solo performances, concentrating instead on concertos and, in particular,
chamber music, and collaborating with instrumentalists in sonatas. She is noted especially for her recordings of 20th-century works by composers such as Rachmaninoff, Messiaen and Prokofiev. One notable compilation pairs Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 (recorded in December 1982 with the Radio Symphonie-Orchester Berlin under the direction of Riccardo Chailly) with Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 (February 1980, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Kirill Kondrashin).Argerich is also famous for her interpretation of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G, and Bach's Partita No. 2 in C minor, which she has recorded several times and continues to perform.

Argerich has also promoted younger pianists, both through her annual festival and through her appearances as a member of the jury at international competitions. The pianist Ivo Pogorelić was thrust into the musical spotlight partly as a result of Argerich's actions: after he was eliminated in the third round of the 1980 International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Argerich proclaimed him a "genius" and left the jury in protest. She has supported several artists including Gabriela Montero, Mauricio Vallina, Sergio Tiempo, Gabriele Baldocci, Christopher Falzone and others.

Argerich is president of the International Piano Academy Lake Como and performs each year at the Lugano Festival. She also created and has been General Director of the Argerich Music Festival and Encounter in Beppu, Japan, since 1996. Argerich during a concert given in the Néstor Kirchner Cultural Centre, July 2015. Her aversion to the press and publicity has resulted in her remaining out of the limelight for most of her career. Nevertheless, she is widely recognized as one of the greatest pianists of her time.

Her performance of Liszt's First Piano Concerto conducted by Daniel Barenboim at The Proms 2016 prompted this review in The Guardian: "It was an unforgettable performance. Argerich celebrated her 75th birthday in June this year, but that news doesn’t seem to have reached her fingers. Her playing is still as dazzling, as frighteningly precise, as it has always been; her ability to spin gossamer threads of melody as matchless as ever. This was unmistakably and unashamedly Liszt in the grand manner, a bit old-fashioned and sometimes even a bit vulgar at times, but in this of all concertos, with Barenboim and the orchestra following each twist and turn, every little quickening and moment of expressive reflection, it seemed entirely appropriate."

Argerich has been married three times. Her first marriage, to composer-conductor Robert Chen and with whom she had a daughter, violist Lyda Chen-Argerich, ended in 1964. From 1969 to 1973, Argerich was married to Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit, with whom she had a daughter, Annie Dutoit. Argerich continues to record and perform with Dutoit. In the 1970s she was also briefly married to pianist Stephen Kovacevich, with whom she has a daughter, Stéphanie.

In 1990, Argerich was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. After treatment, the cancer went into remission, but there was a recurrence in 1995, eventually metastasizing to her lungs and lymph nodes. Following an experimental treatment at the John Wayne cancer institute in Santa Monica pioneered by oncologist Donald Morton, Argerich's cancer went into remission again. In gratitude, Argerich performed a Carnegie Hall recital benefiting the Institute. As of 2017, Argerich remains cancer-free.

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If you don't already know these eight discs by Argentinean pianist Martha Argerich, you owe it to yourself to stop whatever you're doing and hear them because by common consent they represent a peak of postwar pianism. Argerich's technique knows no limits, and her personality as captured here knows no restraint. Thankfully these qualities are matched by Argerich's excellent taste, which prohibits her from lapsing into bathos or bombast. True, her Bach is extremely expressive, her Schumann wildly passionate, and her Liszt nearly explosive, but those qualities never topple from the razor's edge of balance or give in to self-aggrandizement. Whatever she brings out of the scores is intrinsic to the music, and there's nothing in her performances, no matter how extravagant or flamboyant, which cannot be justified. If you don't already know these recordings, try her 1960 reading of Prokofiev's Toccata and her 1975 account of Chopin's C sharp minor Prélude, Op. 45: the former's relentless drive and demonic energy are as overwhelmingly exciting as the latter's sustained phrasing and lyrical melancholy achieve an emotional summit. From 1960 to 1984 and from stereo to digital, Deutsche Grammophon's sound is as good as recorded sound gets: clear, clean, quiet, and immediate.



Martha Argerich - The Collection 01+02   (flac  398mb)

cd 1 Martha Argerich • Piano / Chopin • Brahms • Liszt • Ravel • Prokofieff

101 Scherzo No. 3 In C Sharp Minor, Op. 39 (Presto Con Fuoco) 6:30
Rhapsodies Op. 79
102 No. 1 In B Minor (Agitato) 8:27
103 No. 2 In G Minor (Molto Passionato, Ma Non Troppo Allegro) 6:30
104 Toccata Op. 11 4:07
105 Jeux D'eau (Très Doux) 5:25
106 Barcarolle In F Sharp Minor, Op. 60 (Allegretto) 8:07
107 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 (Tempo Giusto - Presto - Andante - Allegro - Presto) 6:21

cd 2 Martha Argerich • Frédéric Chopin



Piano Sonata No. 3 In B Minor, Op. 50 (21:55)
201 1. Allegro Maestoso 10:55
202 2. Scherzo: Molto Vivace 2:17
203 3. Largo 8:45
204 4. Presto Ma Non Tanto 4:24
205 Polonaise-Fantasie In A Flat Major, Op. 61 (Allegro Maestoso) 11:30
206 Polonaise No. 6 In A Flat Major, Op. 53 (Maestoso) 6:17
3 Mazurkas Op. 59
207 No. 1 In A Minor (Moderato) 3:18
208 No. 2 In A Flat Major (Allegretto) 2:18
209 No. 3 In F Sharp Minor (Vivace) 2:47

Martha Argerich - The Collection 01+02 (ogg  206mb)

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Argerich's legendary DG performance [of the Liszt Sonata] from 1972...suggests an entirely different level of both technical and musical achievement. Her prodigious fluency unites with a trail-blazing temperament, and Valhalla itself never ignited to such effect as at the central Andante's central climax. Both here and in the final Prestissimo there are reminders that Argerich has always played octaves like single notes, displaying a technique that few if any could equal. As I said when first commenting on this disc in my history of the Sonata, 'there are times when she becomes virtually engulfed in her own virtuosity' yet 'this is a performance to make other pianists turn pale and ask, how is it possible to play like this?'... Argerich's Schumann, too, is among her most meteoric, headlong flights. In terms of sheer brilliance she leaves all others standing yet, amazingly, still allows us fleeting glimpses of Eusebius (the poetic dreamer in Schumann, and one of his most dearly cherished fictions). The Brahms and Liszt Rhapsodies, taken from Argerich's very first 1963 DG disc, are among the most incandescent yet refined on record..."



Martha Argerich - The Collection 03+04 (flac  345mb)

cd 3: Liszt: Sonate H-Moll (In B Minor) • Schumann: Sonate G-Moll (In G Minor) • Martha Argerich
Piano Sonata In B Minor (25:48)
301 Lento Assai — Allegro Energico 3:03
302 Grandioso 1:59
303 Cantando Espressivo 3:40
304 Pesante — Recitativo 2:05
305 Andante Sostenuto 0:46
306 Quasi Adagio 4:49
307 Allegro Energico 2:13
308 Più Mosso 1:52
309 Cantando Espressivo Sensa Slentare 1:14
310 Stretta Quasi Presto — Presto — Prestissimo 1:13
311 Andante Sostenuto — Allegro Moderato  Op. 22 (16:47)
312 1. So Rasch Wie Möglich 5:34
313 2. Andantino. Getragen 4:58
314 3. Scherzo: Sehr Rasch Un Markiert — Attacca 1:31
315 4. Rondo: Presto — Prestissimo, Quasi Cadenza 4:44

cd 4: Frédéric Chopin: Sonate B-Moll (In B Flat Minor), Scherzo B-Moll (In B Minor), Andante Spianato Et Grande Polonaise



Piano Sonata No. 2 In B Flat Minor, Op. 35 (22:46)
401 1. Grave — Doppio Movimento 6:42
402 2. Scherzo 6:04
403 3. Marche Funébre: Lento 8:34
404 4. Finale: Presto 1:28
405 Grande Polonaise Brillante Précédée D'un Andante Spianato, Op. 22 13:26
406 Scherzo No. 2 In B Flat Mnor, Op. 31 (Presto) 8:55

Martha Argerich - The Collection 03+04 (ogg  180mb)

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Martha Argerich's mercurial playing, in which extremes of speed, clarity, and color are often combined to an almost unprecedented degree, is admittedly not to everyone's taste—though it usually is to mine... Chopin's Prelude, op. 45, is as perfectly poised and beautifully sung as you are likely to hear on records; and the Preludes, op. 28, contain many amazing moments (Nos. 16 and 24, above all!)... The Scherzo No. 2 and Polonaise-fantasie are magnificently interpreted throughout, and her magical way with the mazurkas will surely win over those who might think that Argerich is simply a pianist's pianist. Highest recommendation."



Martha Argerich - The Collection 05+06     (flac  288mb)

cd 5 Maurice Ravel: Gaspard De La Nuite, Sonatine, Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales • Martha Argerich
Gaspard De La Nuit (3 Poémes Pour Piano D'Aprés Aloysius Bertrand)

Gaspard De La Nuit (3 Poémes Pour Piano D'Aprés Aloysius Bertrand) (22:18)
501 Ondine 6:21
502 Le Gibet 6:42
503 Scarbo 9:18
Sonatine (10:37)
504 1. Modéré 4:00
505 2. Mouvement De Menuet 3:00
506 3. Animé 3:37
Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales
507 1. Modéré — Très Franc 1:20
508 2. Assez Lent — Avec Une Expression Intense 2:22
509 3. Modéré 1:23
510 4. Asses Animé 1:05
511 5. Presque Lent — Dans Un Sentiment Intime 1:34
512 6. Vif 0:41
513 7. Moins Vif 2:40
514 8. Epilogue: Lent 4:30

cd 6 Frédéric Chopin • 24 Préludes Op. 28, Préludes: Nr. 25 Op. 45, Nr. 26 Op. Posth. • Martha Argerich



24 Préludes Op. 28
601 No. 1 In C Major (Agitato) 0:32
602 No. 2 In A Minor (Lento) 2:05
603 No. 3 In G Major (Vivace) 0:51
604 No. 4 In E Minor (Largo) 1:51
605 No. 5 In D Major (Allegro Molto) 0:30
606 No. 6 In B Minor (Lento Assai) 1:46
607 No. 7 In A Major (Andantino) 0:44
608 No. 8 In F Sharp Minor (Molto Agitato) 1:29
609 No. 9 In E Major (Largo) 1:30
610 No. 10 In C Sharp Minor (Allegro Molto) 0:25
611 No. 11 In B Major (Vivace) 0:33
612 No. 12 In G Sharp Minor (Presto) 0:58
613 No. 13 In F Sharp Major (Lento)2:44
614 No. 14 In E Flat Minor (Allegro) 0:29
615 No. 15 In D Flat Major (Sostenuto) 4:51
616 No. 16 In B Flat Minor (Presto Con Fuoco) 0:58
617 No. 17 In A Flat Major (Allegretto) 2:50
618 No. 18 In F Minor (Allegro Molto) 0:47
619 No. 19 In E Flat Major (Vivace) 1:04
620 No. 20 In C Minor (Largo) 1:32
621 No. 21 In B Flat Major (Cantabile) 1:34
622 No. 22 In G Minor (Molto Agitato) 0:34
623 No. 23 In F Major (Moderato) 0:43
624 No. 24 In D Minor (Allegro Appassionato) 2:14
625 Prélude In C Sharp Minor, Op 45 (Sostenuto) 4:03
626 Prélude In A Flat Major, Op. Posth. (Presto Con Leggierezza) 0:41

Martha Argerich - The Collection 05+06 (ogg  175mb )

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Argerich's playing of Bach is a thing of beauty. It is also a model of unusually pure piano-playing, with very little pedal and only occasional ‘agogics’ – the small delays which draw attention to a structural landmark. Argerich achieves character with great discipline, by varying her touch, by balancing sounds immaculately against each other, and by her irresistible sense of rhythm, so important in the dance movements of the Partita and Suite. Her buoyancy and alertness in the lively movements are almost alarming. And who else would dare make the Sarabande in the Partita so simple? You’ll feel years younger after listening.



Martha Argerich - The Collection 07+08 (flac  374mb)

cd 7 Johann Sebastian Bach: Toccata BWV 911, Partiata BWV 826, Englische Suite No. 2 BWV 807 • Martha Argerich
701 Toccata In C Minor, BWV 911 10:56
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826 (18:56)
702 Sinfonia 4:16
703 Allemande 4:18
704 Courante 2:08
705 Sarabande 3:54
706 Rondeau 1:17
707 Capriccio 3:03
English Suite No. 2 In A Major, BWV 807 (20:09)
708 Prélude 4:18
709 Allemande 2:56
710 Courante 1:32
711 Sarabande 4:09
712 Bourée I/II 3:54
713 Gigue 3:20

cd 8 Robert Schumann: • Kinderszenen • Kreisleriana • Martha Argerich



Kinderszenen Op. 15 (18:44)
801 1. Von Fremden Ländern Und Menschen 1:52
802 2. Kuriose Geschichte 1:04
803 3. Haschemann 0:28
804 4. Bittendes Kind 0:59
805 5. Glückes Genug 1:03
806 6. Wichtige Begebenheit 0:48
807 7. Träumerei 2:55
808 8. Am Kamin 0:51
809 9. Ritter Vom Steckenpferd 0:35
810 10. Fast Zu Ernst 2:00
811 11. Fürchtenmachen 1:33
812 12. Kind Im Einschlummern 2:23
813 13. Der Dichter Spricht 2:14

Kreisleriana Op. 16 (33:35)
814 1. Äußerst Bewegt. Agitatissimo 2:26
815 2. Sehr Innig Und Nicht Zu Rasch. Con Molta Espressione, Non Troppo Presto 9:40
816 3. Serh Aufgeregt. Molto Agitato 4:32
817 4. Sehr Langsam. Lento Assai 3:54
818 5. Sehr Lebhaft. Vivace Assai 3:08
819 6. Sehr Langsam. Lento Assai 4:11
820 7. Sehr Rasch. Molto Presto 2:06
821 8. Schnell Und Spielend. Vivace E Scherzando 3:29

Martha Argerich - The Collection 07+08 (ogg  192mb)

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