Martha Argerich & Mischa Maisky

The Opportunity to Actually SEE Martha Argerich Perform
Martha Argerich is the grand dame of the piano and her reputation for great performances has not diminished with age or health. Unfortunately her guest appearances with the major orchestras around the world are often cancelled at the last minute (at times allowing fascinating new artists to step into her spotlight to the delight of otherwise disappointed audiences). So it is with excitement that the releases of her performances at festivals on DVD give the double pleasure of hear AND seeing this wizard of the keyboard.

This DVD was recored live in February 2011 at the Lucerne Concert Hall - the raison d'etre being the premiere of a work written by Russian composer Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin especially for Martha Argerich and Misha Maisky, often her partner in performances. That particular piece, The Double Concerto for Piano and Cello, 'Romantic Offering'', is accessible and flashy and, as we have come to expect from this composer, the percussive elements are a main...

Two superstars ......and a lovers' concerto.
This technically and musically superb Accentus disc featuring Neeme Jarvi and the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra generously offers music by Dvorak, Cesar Franck and Shostakovich's 9th symphony, but really the focus of attention is on Mischa Maisky and Martha Argerich performing the World Premiere of Rodion Shchedrin's Double Concerto for Piano and Cello, specially written for and dedicated to this pair of super soloists.
Shchedrin titles it "Romantic Offering" and regards it as a concerto for two protagonists, male and female. To my ears this is a concerto for two lovers. The first movement opens delicately with some soft notes from the piano answered by a deep sigh from the cello... and the dialogue begins. Themes are expressed and tossed from one partner to the other and passions build up, though still somewhat restrained, the bass notes and taut rhythm pulsating like repressed desire. Emotions run high in the 2nd. movement, allegro. There is no holding back now. The cello sings...

Great program and performance
First of all the program is perfect. Starting with Dvorak's a lovely little piece, the inspiring contemporary piece, followed by the well-known Franck piece for cello/piano and finished with Shostakovich 9.

Performance is perfect too. Lucerne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Neeme Jarvi is so vivid and energetic. Argerich and Maisky know the music even with the world premiere contemporary piece. They were very well prepared.

I wished to be there that night, but this fabulous Bluray recording makes me feel almost I were.

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