Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 3
Gramophone Choice
Piano Concerto No 3 (with No 2)
Martha Argerich (pf) Mahler Chamber Orchestra / Claudio Abbado
DG 477 5026GH (64' • DDD) Recorded live in the Teatro Comunale, Ferrara in 2000 and 2004. Buy from Amazon
Martha Argerich's two most recent discs have coupled works central to her repertoire with first performances on record. Here her long-awaited recording of Beethoven's Third Concerto appears with the Second, music she has relished over the years. But whether novel or familiar, both performances are of a quality rarely encountered at any time or from any artist.
Characteristically nervous before playing a concerto she had not performed for 20 years, Argerich erased all trepidation with a performance in which every note and phrase seems to spring new-minted from the page. Magisterial, insouciant, scintillating and acute, this greatest of all living pianists resolves every thought and consideration in playing of an enthralling spontaneity. What open-hearted delight in Beethoven's proud Prospero-like assertion of his beloved C minor powers: the arpeggios at the heart of the cadenza flash like summer lightning, and the recitatives at the close of the slow movements of both concertos seem to stretch into infinity. Famed for her unique virtuoso prowess, Argerich is no less eloquent in simplicity.
It's also a reminder that, in the words of Muriel Spark's Jean Brodie, beauty rather than safety comes first. Claudio Abbado, a long-term musical partner, and his youthful Mahler Orchestra are entirely at one with their mercurial soloist and the recordings admirably capture both ultra-live occasions.
Additional Recommendation
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3. Grieg Piano Concerto
Emil Gilels (pf) Philharmonia Orchestra; Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Paavo Berglund
Video Artists International VAIDVD4472 (86’ · 4:3 · PCM mono · 0). Recorded live in 1983, 1984. Buy from Amazon
This is the seventh volume from VAI of live performances of the great Russian pianist. If you insist on crisp colours and high definition you must look elsewhere: the second-generation picture quality boasts a characteristic hue of various shades of predominantly murky browns, greens and greys. No matter – the sound is fine.
As to the performances, it may be significant that whereas there are around 10 different commercially available accounts of Gilels in Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, there is only one of the Grieg. The Beethoven is impressive without being outstanding (unlike, for example, Gilels’s incomparable Beethoven Fourth with Leopold Ludwig) with sharply contrasted episodes, eloquently clear phrasing, unhurried tempi – the second movement lasts nearly 11 minutes – and not a few smudges in the finale. The genial Paavo Berglund offers rock-steady support.
In the Grieg, the two outer movements seem altogether too portentous and heavy-handed. Gilels makes the work sound like Tchaikovsky and in passages such as the concluding poco più allegro of the first movement is decidedly flat-footed. There are, also, rather too many tutti downbeats where conductor and soloist fail to coincide. In mitigation there is an exquisitely played Adagio. This is repeated as an encore after the enthusiastic reception by the Helsinki audience.
So – Gilels in familiar and unfamiliar territory: never less than stimulating and of vital interest. As is customary from this label, there are no notes on the music or performers.
