Ripeness is all: Renaud Capuçon and Martha Argerich in Salzburg

By Roy Westbrook, 21 August 2020

Loading, please wait...

See full listing

“the coda provoked a spontaneous “wow” from an audience member, and in turn a big smile from Argerich”

Reviewed at Haus für Mozart, Salzburg on 21 August 2020

Beethoven, Violin Sonata no. 8 in G major, Op.30 no.3

Franck, Violin Sonata in A major

Prokofiev, Violin Sonata no. 2 in D major, Op.94a

Renaud Capuçon, Violin

Martha Argerich, Piano

Argerich, Maisky and the elixir of youth

Mark Pullinger, 6th February

Martha Argerich and Mischa Maisky's duo recital at Wigmore Hall turns into a trio... and offers the London audience a rare opportunity to hear the Argentinian pianist play solo.

****1

Sinning on a Sunday: Argerich, Mehta and the Vienna Philharmonic

Chanda VanderHart, 17th March

In the sacred golden temple that is the Musikverein, Martha Argerich plays Ravel's saucy Piano Concerto in G major, before the Philharmoniker and Zubin Mehta play Bruckner's Seventh Symphony.

****1

Stars, slapstick and soul: Martha Argerich joins the Rotterdam Phil

Eleanor Knight, 28th September

Soaring choral music precedes the arrival of Martha Argerich for a daredevil account of Shostakovich's First Piano Concerto with RPhO Principal Trumpet, Alex Elia.

*****

Argerich and Dutoit demonstrate that vitality is ageless

Edward Sava-Segal, 18th September

Martha Argerich returns to the Enescu Festival for one of the pillars of her repertory, Prokofiev's Third Piano Concerto, in a buoyant performance.

***11

Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester and Martha Argerich in Évian

David Karlin, 2nd July

Argerich shows her full artistry, while Europe's young musicians show impressive coordination and dynamics, if short of emotion in Beethoven 7.

****1

Clumsy Liszt, listless Berlioz from Barenboim and the Staatskapelle

Mark Pullinger, 7th March

Some conductors get better with age, ripening like fine wines, but age wearies others. Daniel Barenboim’s decline is difficult to bear.

More reviews...

Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.