Giants of the keyboard
Our reissue round-up explores all things piano
Pianist Martha Argerich is notoriously private, willing to give few interviews. So the film Bloody Daughter, a personal portrait made by her daughter Stéphanie, a filmmaker, is especially welcome. It’s the illuminating first DVD in the Euroarts Argerich
set uniting two documentaries and several concerts, released to mark the great musician’s 75th birthday (2063798; 7 DVDS).
There’s more Martha this month – 20 CDS’ worth more, in fact, in Martha Argerich: the Warner Classics Recordings (9029594898).
Bringing together recordings from the EMI, Teldec and Erato catalogues, the set opens with her 1965 recording of Chopin’s Third Sonata. Three discs showcase recitals and concertos from the Concertgebouw in the late 1970s, and she joins forces with pianist Alexandre Rabinovitch for Messiaen, Mozart, Brahms and Rachmaninov. Plus there’s Schumann, Bartók and more.
Pianist Sviatoslav Richter has also been given the complete Warner treatment, with a collection encompassing his recordings for HMV and Teldec in Sviatoslav Richter: the Warner Classics Recordings (9029593016; 24 CDS). The set replicates
EMI’S earlier Icons Richter set, and includes his Dvoπák Piano Concerto with Carlos Kleiber and, with pianist Andrei Gavrilov, the Handel Keyboard Suites.
Richter’s Rachmaninov isn’t featured, but Piano Classics has released the Russian composer’s complete piano music – which should help fill the gap. (6 CDS; PCLM0111). Seven pianists feature, including Nikolai Lugansky and rising star
Lukas Geniu≥as.
And if our Recording of the Month (p76) has whetted your appetite, then Murray Perahia plays
Bach: The Complete Recordings
(Sony Classical 88985344452; 8 CDS) might be for you. Perahia’s former label has repackaged eight albums from 1997 to 2009, encompassing the English Suites, Partitas and Goldberg Variations.
Euroarts marks Martha Argerich’s 75th birthday