Martha Argerich & Friends: Live from Lugano 2014

Martha Argerich

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Martha Argerich & Friends: Live from Lugano 2014 Review

by Blair Sanderson

Similar to previous volumes in this long-running series, the Live from Lugano 2014 box set offers the expected mix of a piano concerto, various chamber works, and keyboard performances by Martha Argerich and a group of well-known and rising musicians. While most of the performances are satisfying, particularly Argerich's refined interpretation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, and the handful of chamber sonatas by Frank Bridge, Francis Poulenc, and Mieczyslaw Weinberg, there is one selection that doesn't work so well. The arrangement for piano quintet of Darius Milhaud's La création du monde is unbalanced in the murky recording, and the lackluster transcription and sluggish performance show none of the jazziness and charm of the original version for chamber orchestra. Other than that oddity, and the curiosity that is Ferruccio Busoni's youthful transcription for two pianos, eight hands of Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 1 in C minor, which comes off more like a clever stunt than a compelling performance, the rest of the pieces are well-chosen and equally well-played. The roster of artists includes Lugano regulars, like cellists Mischa Maisky and Gautier Capuçon, violinist Gidon Kremer, and pianist Gabriela Montero, though most of the musicians are not household names. All the same, they are likely familiar to collectors of these live recordings and deserve the exposure the festival brings.

Track Listing - Disc 1

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
	1	Allegro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Martha Argerich	14:02	Amazon
	2	Romance Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Martha Argerich	08:55	Amazon
	3	Rondo. Allegro assai Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Martha Argerich	07:50	Amazon
	4	Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen," WoO 46 Ludwig van Beethoven	Martha Argerich	09:57	Amazon
La création du monde, Op. 81b
	5	Prelude Darius Milhaud	Martha Argerich	04:59	Amazon
	6	Fugue Darius Milhaud	Martha Argerich	01:37	Amazon
	7	Romance Darius Milhaud	Martha Argerich	03:45	Amazon
	8	Scherzo Darius Milhaud	Martha Argerich	01:23	Amazon
	9	Finale Darius Milhaud	Martha Argerich	06:34	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 2

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11 for two pianos/eight hands
	1	I. Allegro di molto Ferruccio Busoni / Felix Mendelssohn	Martha Argerich	09:50	Amazon
	2	II. Andante Ferruccio Busoni / Felix Mendelssohn	Martha Argerich	06:33	Amazon
	3	III. Menuetto: Allegro molto Ferruccio Busoni / Felix Mendelssohn	Martha Argerich	06:07	Amazon
	4	IV. Allegro con fuoco Ferruccio Busoni / Felix Mendelssohn	Martha Argerich	08:19	Amazon
Piano Quintet in C minor
	5	I. Andante Alexander Borodin	Martha Argerich	04:40	Amazon
	6	II. Scherzo: Allegro non troppo Alexander Borodin	Martha Argerich	05:28	Amazon
	7	III. Finale: Allegro moderato Alexander Borodin	Martha Argerich	10:39	Amazon
Cello Sonata in D minor, H125
	8	I. Allegro ben moderato Frank Bridge	Martha Argerich	10:28	Amazon
	9	II. Adagio ma non troppo - Frank Bridge	Martha Argerich	05:14	Amazon
	10	Molto allegro e agitato Frank Bridge	Martha Argerich	08:08	Amazon

Track Listing - Disc 3

Sample		Title/Composer	Performer	Time	Stream
Piano Sonata, FP 8 for four hands
	1	I. Prélude: Modéré Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	01:59	Amazon
	2	II. Rustique: Naïf et lent Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	02:11	Amazon
	3	III. Final: Très vite Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	02:20	Amazon
Cello Sonata, FP 143
	4	I. Allegro: Tempo di marcia Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	05:35	Amazon
	5	II. Cavatine: Très calme Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	06:12	Amazon
	6	III. Ballabile: Très animé et gai Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	03:28	Amazon
	7	IV. Finale: Largo, très librement - Presto subito - Largo Francis Poulenc	Martha Argerich	06:53	Amazon
	8	Fantasy in A minor, Op. posth. for two Pianos Alexander Scriabin	Martha Argerich	07:31	Amazon
Violin Sonata No. 5, Op. 53
	9	I. Andante con moto Mieczyslaw Weinberg	Martha Argerich	05:07	Amazon
	10	II. Allegro molto Mieczyslaw Weinberg	Martha Argerich	06:04	Amazon
	11	III. Allegro moderato Mieczyslaw Weinberg	Martha Argerich	04:58	Amazon
	12	IV. Allegro - Andante - Allegretto - Andante Mieczyslaw Weinberg	Martha Argerich	08:01	Amazon