Schumann Argerich

The box comprises all (live) recordings made by Martha Argerich at the Lugano Festival, from 2002 to the last edition in 2016, and released by EMI Classics and Warner Classics. An impressive collection of 22CDs without equivalent. It includes a variety of genres: some solo piano music, lots of music for piano duo and among them many arrangements, chamber works and concertos.

Violinist Gidon Kremer and pianist Martha Argerich are two of the greatest living virtuosos on their instruments and, though they are wholly individualistic players, they get along extremely well together. German Romantic Robert Schumann and Hungarian modernist Béla Bartók don't have much in common at first blush: one is dreamy and poetic, the other brutal and cerebral.

As with previous issues in this outstanding series from Martha Argerich's Lugano Festival, the performers included here range from acknowledged masters such as cellist Mischa Maisky and pianist Stephen Kovacevich to near unknowns such as bassoonist Vincent Godel and clarinetist Corrado Giuffredi. Likewise, the repertoire ranges from the fairly well-known Schumann D minor Violin Sonata and Janácek Concertino to the virtually unknown Arensky Piano Quintet and Pletnev Fantasia elvetica. But no matter the performers or the repertoire, the results are superlative.

Released on our joint label Verbier Festival Gold, Portraits of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 1 is the first of a series of upcoming albums that highlights the extraordinary chemistry between the ensemble and their beloved Music Director, Hungarian chamber music legend Gábor Takács-Nagy. This first album opens and closes with exciting interpretations of Haydn’s final 104th and Schumann’s 3rd “Rhenish” symphonies. It further features a sensational rendition of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with frequent VFCO collaborator and close friend of the festival Martha Argerich. And there is also room for a Scarlatti encore from the iconic pianist.

This is a fine specimen of what duo-playing can and should be. My pleasure in this record is in no small measure down to my enthusiasm for these particular works, among the most attractive and significant products of early romanticism. Chopin's cello sonata seems to me an even better work than his piano sonatas. None other than Tovey gives it high marks for construction, even forgetting for once to include his near-invariable reference to Beethoven as the benchmark in all such matters. Chopin had written for the cello in his early years, and the opus 3 introduction-and-polonaise is included here, but the sonata has a sheer self-assurance about that sounds as if he had been composing for it all his life.

Released on our joint label Verbier Festival Gold, Portraits of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, Vol. 1 is the first of a series of upcoming albums that highlights the extraordinary chemistry between the ensemble and their beloved Music Director, Hungarian chamber music legend Gábor Takács-Nagy. This first album opens and closes with exciting interpretations of Haydn’s final 104th and Schumann’s 3rd “Rhenish” symphonies. It further features a sensational rendition of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with frequent VFCO collaborator and close friend of the festival Martha Argerich. And there is also room for a Scarlatti encore from the iconic pianist.

Warner Classics proudly brings you Martha Argerich's greatest recording highlights, complete with true jewels from her discrography!

Warner Classics proudly brings you Martha Argerich's greatest recording highlights, complete with true jewels from her discrography!

Warner Classics proudly brings you Martha Argerich's greatest recording highlights, complete with true jewels from her discrography!

She is a piano legend, he has collaborated as a soloist with all leading conductors and orchestras around the world. Now Martha Argerich and Guy Braunstein come to the Pierre Boulez Saal with their first-ever duo program—an artistic encounter that promises to be an extraordinary musical experience.