Barenboim and Argerich, together in Berlin
OrchestrasThursday’s Berlin Philharmonic concert, conducted by Daniel Barenboim with Martha Argerich playing a Beethoven piano concerto, has been described in local media as ‘the gift of the season’.
Barenboim, visibly frail, conducted from a chair with restricted baton movements. Argerich was in a world of her own.
Detailed review here.
First, not second piano concerto…
Looking forward to hearing her in the Schumann concerto next month with Dutoit and the OSI and in Beethoven’s C-Major concerto in January with Shani and the Israel Philharmonic.
Le chant du cygne. Touching.
On the live DCH broadcast Argerich played a small yet massive blunder in the third movement. It was so wholesome, she could not contain her laughter! It was a quite wonderful performance.
A superb concert best enjoyed from the podium seats (where Barenboim’s wife also sat), from where one could appreciate not only the great horn-playing from a predominantly young quartet, but the infectious orchestral energy needing only the smallest of beats, discreet eyebrow movements and Barenboim’s all-seeing hawk-eyed vigilance. His smile to the triangle-player made the players day.
On Saturday Martha’s “should I or shouldn’t I?” with the concertmaster on the question of an encore (at the second of the three concerts she didn’t play one), was resolved affirmatively with a dazzling
Traumes-Wirren that any pianist could only envy!