Martha Argerich & Nelson Freire at the 2009 Salzburg Festival = BRAHMS: Variations on a Theme by Haydn Op. 56b; RACHMANINOV: Symphonic Dances Op. 45; SCHUBERT: Rondo in A Major “Grand Rondeau” for piano 4 hands; RAVEL: La Valse – Argerich & Freire, two pianos – DGG 00289 477 8570, 72:27 *****:
Two of the finest pianists in the world join together in this fresh new live performance program from this year’s Salzburg Festival. Martha Argerich prefers to play in chamber music and duo situations, and for this recital the Argentine native teamed up with Brazilian-born Nelson Freire. Their program is highly unusual in that three of the four works are much better known in their orchestral versions, but each one was originally arranged for two pianos by the composers, either before or after doing the symphonic version. The fourth, the Schubert Rondo, is a duet that seats Argerich and Freire together at the same keyboard. It is also a first recording of the work for both pianists.
The listener concentrates more on the structures of the two-piano works than with the orchestral versions, and the varied possibilities of different timbres on the piano – especially on Ravel’s amazing two-piano version of his La Valse. Argerich and Freire cannot see each other’s hands, but they really listen deeply to one another and delight in the music-making. The separation of the two pianos is just enough to obtain a good spatial feeling of the two instruments without the hole-in-the-middle effect. I personally love to listen to two piano recordings on headphones or in the car due to the added separation those locations afford. This is truly a brilliant and exciting program.
– John Sunier
