Martha Argerich, aged 8, plays Beethoven concerto
mainMust be heard.
Max Lima has uploaded a radio broadcast recording of Marthita playing Beethoven’s first piano concerto at the age of 8.
The sound is pretty awaful but check in at 2.45 for the soloist’s first entry and you’ll be amazed at her precocity.
For one thing, she seems to have preferred a (correctly) quicker tempo, and had no problem asserting it.
It’s too fast at 2:45. Whether that is precocious or not, I have no idea
Does it feel good criticizing an 8 year old’s playing? Unreal.
^ …or the conductor was too slow, and she’s correcting him to her tempo. That’s very precocious (and something soloists do all the time).
Do you play piano?
Children at such an age should not be made to play Beethoven ( why him ? ) concertos.
If one wants to hear this music right one should listen and learn from Sir Andreas Schiff, by far the greatest pianist of our times.
Yes you do have a point….. But…..the rest is history
You’re welcome to your opinion regarding who is the greatest pianist of our times, but my best guess is that if a poll was taken of informed listeners to indicate who they believe is the greatest living pianist of our times, I’m reasonably confident Andras Schiff would not make it into the top 5.
For the record, my choices for the five greatest living pianists are:
1) Martha Argerich
And then after her in no particular order: Evgeny Kissin, Krystian Zimerman, Marc-Andre Hamelin, and Murray Perahia.
I love her little finger flaws, after which she bravely perseveres.
The sad thing is her interpretation hasn’t changed in 70 years.
I don’t agree, although I would say the basic identity is already there; and I wouldn’t call it sad, necessarily. If she already has an identity, is she supposed to start sounding like someone else at some point? One could just as easily praise her for her consistency over the years.
I find young players often have to go through a transition from “this is the sound a piano [or whatever instrument] makes when someone plays it” to “this is the sound a piano makes when I play it.” Call it developing your own voice, or whatever you like. She sounds like she’s already made that transition.
Sweet, despite old recording. Not bad for 8-year-old! Too bad it’s not in video.
Never mind the playing, just look at that moody expression! Pure Martha.
Agree… but you should definitely “mind” the playing. 🙂
Programmata da Dio … Stupefacente …
The keyboard touch is pretty much like her now…. 70 years later.
Thank you very much for the shoutout, Norman!
I see that this is making the rounds again. It didn’t happen.
Explain.