Great Artist, Bad Day: Argerich and Barenboim Blow It At Bartók
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- Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
- Here's an embarrassment of a disc: live recordings of Schumann, Debussy and Bartók's epic Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, in which Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim indulge in slack, sluggish, and dull music-making for their adoring Buenos Aires audience. Well, we don't have to be so adoring, and given Argerich's multiple previous (excellent) versions of this repertoire, there's certainly no need for excuses.
At the time this Buenos Aires version of the Bartók was recorded, Teatro Colon streamed one of their rehearsals by accident. It was obvious that Barenboim was struggling, they had to repeat many passages many many times just because he just was not able to play it correctly.
By the way, Argerich and Kovacevich played the Bartok Sonata at the Lugano Festival in 2010. That recording has also been released on CD. That makes four😂Ridiculous indeed, and totally unnecessary.
I thought there was another one kicking around somewhere.
@@DavesClassicalGuide I just realized she also did the version with orchestra, with Nelson Freire & the Concertgebouw conducted by David Zinman in 1985 for Philips. That makes five...
@@huismanq I didn't discuss that on purpose. It's a separate work (and a bad one).
I have the Argerich Ensemble box. Great set.
Fully agree. Barenboim should be honest with himself and think to spend the rest of his life looking for some new talent around the world.
Yes, it didn’t come up in the artists who know when to give up talk, but theres been a sense around Barenboim for some time that, although he’s very intelligent and confidence and has vast musical experience, his performance capacities (piano and podium) have been eroding. That coasting on past efforts feeling. It was wise, whatever you think of Rattle and the BPO, that they didn’t hire him. Yes, with all those connections helping young people should be the best thing, not knowing enough about his personality I don’t know if this would be congenial to him.
Jet lag sucks. I've missed parts of fine performances from it. Maybe Martha and/or Daniel were suffering from it.
Nice to now that even the greatest artists can have a truly Bad Day.
Here's a candidate for Great Artist Bad Day: Bernstein's MESSIAH (oi sheesh).
That's an interesting subject about recordings which didn't get released. Murray Peraiha apparently paid off a label not to release a recording of Schumann concerto with Bernstein who was apparently pulling it all to pieces
The Philips TwoFor/Duo is a great album. Worth having for the Lutoslawski Paganini Variations alone (with Nelson Freire)!
Sorry for being off topic, Dave do you think to review the kempff dg box in the next future?
No.
Not sure if this would warrant a GABD video on its own given that it’s a whole cycle rather than one recording, but Bernstein’s second Brahms cycle with Vienna on DG I feel merits a discussion.
Agree. It is terrible.
@@davidgoulden5956 ironically enough, I actually enjoy it (hence “discussion”), but it got the coveted “cd from hell” rating by Dave and I can see why lots of people wouldn’t like it.
@@pprudencio1966 I didn't know Dave had even discussed it. Will look up his review later. I have a copy of the typically plush DG vinyl box set somewhere and I own the cassette versions of 1, 2, and 3. Haven't listened to them in years. Some of the tempos are demonstrably wrong-headed (the third movement of 1) and the DG recording doesn't help. I don't think DG's engineers knew what they were doing in the early years of digital. I'm often drawn to recordings and novels which are not loved. Not this time, though. Glad you like it, Best, D.