Anyone who still harbors doubts about the Martha Argerich phenomenon should buy this sensational overview of her finest solo DG recordings. Pianistically, Argerich can do anything she wants. She tosses off those treacherous octaves in the Chopin C-sharp minor Scherzo, A-flat Polonaise, and Liszt Rhapsody Sonata easier than most people play single notes. She cuts through Schumann’s thick, difficult-to-clarify textural minefields as lye penetrates grease. The same can be said for Chopin’s dense polyphony in the opening movement of the B minor Sonata. True, the pianist sometimes gets impatient in music that demands inner repose and focused introspection, like the simpler Chopin Preludes. She’s a darer, not a planner. And thank God for that! The playing overflows with personality and a liquid, red-blooded sonority that can hardly be mistaken for any other pianist. If you love the piano, buy this compilation.
