Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner The Day Martha Argerich Was Locked Up

Article from An Overgrown Path

Not sure if you guys have seen this, but it's a fun little anecdote on the legendary Argerich's infamous concert habits.

Daniel

interesting stuff, interesting character haha.

Bit of an 'awesome thread', Daniel.

But Argerich is always good copy.

Any word about the other diva? Zimmerman?

That was mighty interesting! Thanks so much for sharing!

I don't suppose it occurred to this guy to go get her a hot dog or something.

i wish i was a diva.

I would have at least gotten her a sandwich. (a hot dog or banana would be ok) nothing like playing on an empty stomach.

Génie oblige!

I would've offered her coffee and cigarettes (but maybe she had these already...)

It's a fun story, but locking someone up like that is illegal, if she had wanted to make something of it.

I'm glad the performance worked out. I would have sent out for a sandwich for the lady. One could have showed her a program for the evening, by means of persuasion. It would be interesting to know what took place after the performance...

It's noticeable, reading the various threads about her, that her performance practices are somewhat controversial. I've gotten a few CDs by her, and I can see how it might not suit everyone... but I like it when a pianist has their own voice, gives their own reading; that is what art is. DG is currently offering two collections by Martha (box sets of earlier works) at a more-than-usually favorable price point, and I'm ordering them, looking forward to her reading. At the very least, agree or not, it can help you hear more standard readings in a different way.

But only 'somewhat controversial' There are certainly other famous pianists mentioned on this forum -and we know who they are- who can be downright polarizing. Myself, I worry when a pianist isn't controversial.

Most of the anti-Argerich rhetoric here is more along the polite lines of 'well, I respect her, but she isn't to my taste', rather than the full frontal assault accorded some other pianists. Interestingly, the only time I recall seeing outright Argerich bashing was on a non-piano forum. Go figure.

What about Hough? No controversy there (that I'm aware of,) yet it doesn't seem anyone needs to be worrying about him (except maybe the Catholic Church...)

Well I suppose you have a good point there (regarding the piano). I've never thought of Hough as controversial, just a darned great pianist who can play nearly anything superbly. In this sense Hough reminds me favourably of Andsnes, though the latter is not as adventurous in his programming.

As for the 'Catholic' issue, that's bound to be controversial, if only because identifying one's self with a particular religion isn't terribly trendy amongst famous concert pianists! If he were famous as a church musician, that would be a different matter. And yet... I wouldn't dismiss Hough's Catholicism offhand. He wrote a very penetrating essay on the Catholicism behind, and in Elgar's Gerontius, itself a very controversial work (though less so now).