Salzburg

Pianists Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire are stupendous virtuosos, and there's nothing in this recording of their 2009 Salzburg recital of staggeringly difficult works they cannot play. They know each other so well as old duo piano partners that their playing is stunning in its unity, but their distinctive individuality also comes across. What's most impressive about this recital is how completely Argerich and Freire have made this music their own. Brahms' Haydn Variations sound freer and fresher, more playful, and more profound than ever. Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances are thrillingly rhapsodic, rapturous, and dramatic. Schubert's Grand Rondeau is more lyrical, intimate, and graceful than usual, and Ravel's La Valse more ecstatic and apocalyptically over-the-top frightening than in any comparable recordings, including Argerich's own earlier releases. Captured in wonderfully clear yet wholly present digital sound, the performances on this disc will be compulsory listening for anyone who loves music, any music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Alles Fühlt Der Liebe Freuden: Works for Oboe & Orchestra
Francois Leleux, Oboe / Camerata Salzburg
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 309 MB | Full Artwork: 60 MB | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # 88697339432 | Country/Year: Germany 2008
Genre: Classical | Style: Viennese School, Oboe

…This won't endear Leleux to the authenticists, but he's a performer of such dexterity, charm and expressive power that any qualms soon disappear. His interpretations remain within the parameters of wit and almost operatic lyricism set by the Concerto in C, so nothing he does elsewhere seems inappropriate or forced, though a couple of the transcriptions, notably of Papageno's arias from Zauberflöte, occasionally stray towards fussy decorousness. The orchestra is the Camerata Salzburg, whose playing is clear, rich and wonderfully fluid.