Martha Argerich - The Complete Sony Recordings

A small box set, released in celebration of Martha Argerich's 75th birthday, containing five albums released by Sony Classical and RCA that were recorded between 1975 and 1992. This fascinating collection of slightly unusual repertoire (for her) shouldn't be allowed to fall through the cracks. The set is in the Sony Complete Recordings series and features the original album covers as well as the original notes that were found on the back of the album. I find the original album notes a treasure trove of information that always helped to place a recording in context. Record companies now avoid the kind of depth once routinely in evidence on the back, regarding any sign of complexity too worrisome for robust sales. Sort of like the publishing company rule that every equation found in a book reduces sales by half. Sad but true. As is the norm for these sets, the timing of each CD is the same as the original release. Nevertheless, the price of each disc is still a bargain, with five discs costing less than two regularly priced CDs.Martha Argerich is hard to pigeon-hole as a pianist. Her style is her own: occasionally frenetic, always thoughtful and brilliant with an uncanny command of dynamics. All of those characteristics are found in this little collection. The music is a fascinating mix. The first CD features flute and piano sonatas by Prokofiev and Cesar Franck, beautifully performed by Argerich and a very young James Galway. Galway's facile fingerwork recorded in 1975 is an absolute joy to listen to. Argerich essentially performs as his accompanist and she does it with verve and intelligence. The recording is a knock-out! The second CD recorded in 1976 features Argerich playing solo piano works by Robert Schumann: the Fantasy in C major, op.17 and the Fantasiestucke, op.12. Her playing boasts an equal measure of poetry and passion. Argerich is one of the finest interpreters of the Romantic piano literature and this CD is strong evidence of that.The third disc, also recorded in 1976, features violin and piano sonatas by Franck and Debussy and is notable for its musical incisiveness in the Franck and its delicacy and poetic beauty in the Debussy. The violinist is Ivry Gitlis and the two performers show-off some impressive musical chemistry. The album cover is especially beautiful, so you'll have something lovely to look at while you're listening. The fourth CD, recorded in 1980, is quite a change of pace: Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.2 in B-flat major and Haydn's Piano Concerto in D major. Argerich conducts the London Sinfonietta from the piano and their performance together is sprightly and lyrical, with true Classical era charm and grace. Argerich has a natural talent for conducting.The fifth and final CD is a live recording made in 1992 pairing Richard Strauss' Burleske for Piano and Orchestra in D minor and Scriabin's Le Poeme du feu, also known as his Symphony no.5. Argerich is accompanied by Claudio Abbado conducting the Berlin Philharmonic and the performance of the Strauss is lush with Argerich in full post-Romantic mode: her playing is expansive and exceptionally full-blooded. The Scriabin performance is quite good, if lacking a bit of the necessary Scriabin mystery and mysticism.The sound of all five discs is exceptionally rich and alive with unusually vivid presence, although there's a bit of extra brightness to the sound of the violin on the third disc that may be an artifact resulting from Gitlis' vehement attack. The CDs have been re-mastered using Sony's 24/96 and DSD re-mastering techniques and the results are almost uniformly superb. The chamber recordings are closely miked in a nicely resonant space, giving them a pleasing "bloom" to the sound. The live recordings are slightly thinner because of their more distant miking, but their re-mastered incarnation sounds fuller, warmer and features even greater clarity than I recall from the original releases. If you're a fan of Martha Argerich, this little collection is self-recommending. But even if you're not, given the reasonable price, the original covers and album notes, the excellent re-mastered sound and the accompanying booklet, this 75th birthday celebration of a great pianist is worth your attention.

Wonderful classical piano

Just unbelievably remarkable, wonderful. Can't play these enough times!n morse

I believe that Argerich has the best left-hand in the business. I was hoping for more fire and excitement especially since this was early Martha. I found it somewhat dreary; the accompanying artists did not help much.

anything she does is exceptional,,,,,quality of recording is very good! quite pleased!

Beautiful: Should be in the collection of all who love classical piano music.

Wonderful, rarely heard performances

Brilliant pianist that add feeling to a masterful technique

Martha Argerich gehört für viele in die Liste der 10 besten Pianisten des 20 Jahrhunderts. Diese historischen Aufnahmen erlauben einen guten Querschnitt, wenn man sich näher mit dieser Künstlerin beschäftigen will. Insbesondere die Schumann CD (Fantasie und Fantasiestücke) zeigt was sie technisch und musikalisch drauf hat. Auch gut: Die Cesar Franck Sonate mit Querflöte statt Violine. Findet man auch eher selten. Die CD Hüllen enthalten die historischen Plattencover. Das Begleitheft ist minimalistisch aber informativ genug. Für den Preis kann man hier nichts falsch machen.

This is a collection of a number of Argerich's lesser appreciated selections. Her work is her usual passionate playing along with some duets with James Galway. There's also an extra CD to make this box attractive. Obviously, Sony didn't record Argerich at her best and the selections included weren't even listed on Amazon's blurb nor did the rep know what was in the box. I could easily have passed this one up.