COMPOSERS: Chopin/Liszt
LABELS: DG Originals
WORKS: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor; Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat
PERFORMER: Martha Argerich (piano); LSO/Claudio Abbado
CATALOGUE NO: 449 719-2 ADD (1968)
Not generous in playing time but still as dazzling today as when it was first released. Here is beautifully projected playing, the emotional quality of the music judged to a poetic nicety, the bravura never gratuitous. Between them Argerich and Abbado generate a heady world of romance and electricity. On balance Pollini may still be my preferred Chopin, and I’ve heard Argerich play the Liszt more theatrically in concert, but this still remains a very substantial achievement. And the remarkable thing is that it was recorded in just two sessions. Ates Orga
Chopin/Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor; Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat
Not generous in playing time but still as dazzling today as when it was first released. Here is beautifully projected playing, the emotional quality of the music judged to a poetic nicety, the bravura never gratuitous. Between them Argerich and Abbado generate a heady world of romance and electricity. On balance Pollini may still be my preferred Chopin, and I’ve heard Argerich play the Liszt more theatrically in concert, but this still remains a very substantial achievement. And the remarkable thing is that it was recorded in just two sessions. Ates Orga
Our rating
5
Published: January 20, 2012 at 3:10 pm