Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner After seven patient years....

.....I will be seeing Argerich tonight for the first time.

Nice. Enjoy watching her effortlessly make you feel inferior (that was my experience, anyway) with her prodigious technique and power.

I'll be going tomorrow night - can't wait.

I'll be there tomorrow night too. I'm praying she doesn't cancel...

Rach, that makes the two of us.

Argerich is an amazing pianist with absolute electricity in her playing. A concert viewing of her in action is an wonderful treat.

I recently heard Andras Schiff's recording of Tchaikovsky 1. For those used to Argerich's ease in negotiating the famous octave salvos, Schiff came across as rather laboured and insecure. He was probably dreaming about "music that is better than can be played".

Obviously this has to be an early recording (Solti was conducting), as the "great" Schiff would unlikely be bothered with this treacle anymore. He has greater fish to fry, like making mincemeat of hapless students who attend his master classes.

Wonder what Schiff thinks of Argerich...

Just got back from the Verbier concert.

There's not much I can say about Argerich that hasn't already been said. She plays with such ease and expression that for some reason the word velvet comes to mind. I could hear my father saying, "that lady should have her hands insured by Lloyds of London". She played one encore, I was told it was Robert Schuman's Kinderschein, excuse the spelling and I wish she had played a few more pieces. It was over so fast. Hope she returns to New York another time.

Amaing concert! Breathtaking, I just had such a wonderful time, I can't describe it. And yes the encore was from Schumann's Kinderszenen she played Catch me If You Can and then About Foreign Lands and Peoples. I was sort of dissapointed she didn't play her Scarlatti sonata like she did at the other concerts, but it was still a wonderful experience anyway.

Martha played with electic energy but most striking about her playing is her ability to change moods in a split second and the particular depth she brings to more lyrical passages. I had a perfect view of her hands from above (third tier left); it was amazing to watch her especially in the last movement. The audience was extremely enthusiastic which eleicited gestures of appreciation from Martha (but no second encore).