Exclusive footage of Martha Argerich warming up

Exclusive footage of Martha Argerich warming up

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norman lebrecht

February 04, 2020

This is Switzerland, 1969.

She’s smoking like a steam engine.

The footage was uploaded a few hours ago by our pal, Max Lima.

Comments

  • Ceasar Tejada says:

    (•_•) ( •_•)>⌐■-■ (⌐■_■)

  • Goscinnydyrygent says:

    Does it get any better than that? Thanks!

  • Mustafa Kandan says:

    All the best pleasures are ultimately bad for our health. This includes good food, alcohol, cigarettes, reading (bad for eye sight), making music (repetitive strain injury & hearing loss) and so on. This modern obsession with healthy living and long life is nonsense. We should just get on with living life to the full. She only stopped smoking after her brush with cancer, which is the best way to deal with these things.

    • M McAlpine says:

      I hardly think that addiction to nicotine qualifies as living life to the full especially as it is liable to shorten one’s life. It took considerable skill from doctors to undo what cancer had done to this great pianist

    • Gerald says:

      It might be possible to erase the cigarette smoking from the clip?
      The concern is that it’s a form of promotion.

      • V.Lind says:

        Are you that suggestible?

        I wish TV and the movies would stop pretending. It’s a bit ridiculous to watch cop shows and the like where nobody — goody or baddie — ever smokes.

  • Andy says:

    She is just a wonder, and always has been. I was listening to her debut recital recording again the other day (1961?) – it’s utterly mesmeric. Her recording of the Lizst sonata (1971?) is on the same CD too, again, mesmeric. It’s astonishing playing.

    • Y2K says:

      Yep, IMO it’s probably her finest DG release. Just about every work on the CD is top notch and it has my 3rd scherzo performance ever.

  • pageturner says:

    Firstly, I don’t think cancer has ever been “the best way to deal with” anything.
    Secondly, yes she might have been more than adequately competent once, but now you can (and perhaps should) forget this key pounding, concert-cancelling hausfrau living off the vague whiff of a distant reputation. It’s Emil Gilels you need to hear in the Liszt sonata should you need a recorded reference point… she might be good in the Lizst one though, who knows 🙂

  • Too bad that in this video she don’t speak french a language she likes so much to speak

  • Elvira says:

    Beautiful elegant playing but is this a Mazurka?

    • RODNEY GREENBERG says:

      Yes it is a Mazurka. Opus 24 No.2 in C major.

      • Elvira says:

        Dear sir, my question was if the style of playing is of a mazurka.In my humble opinion that was more of a valse.Elegant and refined but…..missing the nationality.
        I know this piece note by note ,played that in many recitals

        • EmilGilels says:

          Yeah, what would Martha Argerich possibly know about playing a Chopin Mazurka…It’s not like she won the Mazurka Prize at the Chopin Competition or anything. Oh, wait…..

          Perhaps you could direct us to a video of you performing the piece in question, to show us – and Martha – how it’s done?

          • Elvira says:

            Instead sarcasm, go and read about “style”, about creating a moment and ….the difference between Mazurka and valse.3/4 is not enough.
            M.A is a great artist ,but blind approval is not healthy.

        • Tamino says:

          what nationality? there is no nationality in a mazurka, ffs!
          Also wondering why Chopin spent so much time in Paris. „What about his nationality“?
          Oh dear…

          • Elvira says:

            Oh oh oh the Mazurka is a Polish dance ,look for the origin of the word.
            Chopin loved his country and dedicated Mazurkas,Polonaises to his birth place.
            In the Mazurkas you can detect the accents on the last beat ,very typical ,unique for this dances.

  • Sixtus Beckmesser says:

    I didn’t know she ever played Opus 101, and it’s just beautiful! Thank you for this.

    • Bruce says:

      There is a huge amount of repertoire that I selfishly wish she would have played.

      • Most if not all of the Beethoven sonatas
      • Brahms D Minor concerto
      • many Mozart concerti (did she play any besides the D minor K466?)
      • a lot of Schubert (F minor fantasy for 4 hands, Wanderer Fantasy, the B-flat major sonata…)
      • and on and on…

      • Andy says:

        There are definitely a couple of recordings of her playing Mozart 25 (K503), and I think a couple of earlier ones too…………..also Mozart concerto for 3 pianos at Lugano

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    God I love that Beethoven piano sonata!!

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