This CD gathers together gems from two different Argerich recitals, recorded live at the Concertgebouw in 1978-79. Aside from some predictably good Bach and Chopin, the collection includes several excerpts from her solo repertoire officially available on record for the first time, thus offering an unusual but gripping portrait of Argerich as interpreter of modern music. Bach’s 2nd Partita is perhaps the least satisfying performance on the CD. Argerich sounds here a bit feverish and edgy, and despite some beautiful changes of lighting in the slow movements, her robust tone acquires an unpleasant, rough quality as soon as the tempo accelerates. On the other hand, her account of Bartók’s fierce rhythms and harsh dissonances has everything one could ask for: a savage, devastating, unstoppable energy that explodes from this astonishing performance. Ginastera’s Danzas argentinas alternate fast, driven rhythms in the outer sections with a deep melancholy in the entrancing Danza de la moza donosa. Argerich makes this vibrant, restless music her own, and that probably explains why this spectacular set of miniatures is not part of every pianist’s repertoire: how could anyone possibly compete with such high-voltage pianism? In Prokofiev’s 7th Sonata, Argerich again perfectly conveys the music’s intensely dramatic character. But she’s betrayed by her own boiling temperament in the first movement, giving a messy and over-pedaled reading of the development section. Everything returns to form in the unrelenting, Toccata-like Precipitato, which explodes with an unbelievable display of devilish energy. The same black magic is at work in Chopin’s Nocturne in C minor–one of the most desperate performances of this work ever. A jaw-dropping Scherzo No. 3 and two supremely fluent and delicate encores complete the program. A self-recommendation. [Editor’s Note: This recording is also available from the Musical Heritage Society, Catalog No. 516001L.]
