[Martha] Argerich brings to bear qualities that are seldom contained in one person: she is a pianist of brainteasing technical agility; she is a charismatic woman with an enigmatic reputation; she is an unaffected interpreter whose native language is music. This last may be the quality that sets her apart. A lot of pianists play huge double octaves; a lot of pianists photograph well. But few have the unerring naturalness of phrasing that allows them to embody the music rather than interpret it. - Alex Ross, "Madame X". The New Yorker - November 12, 2001 posted by Joe Beese (12 comments total)
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I don't want to sound puerile but she's really hot!
I don't want to sound puerile but she's really hot!
I hate to make the first two replies about a great artist be about her looks, but... yeah.
Also she can really play! That box set I linked to the cover of is $22 (on Amazon) of 8 CDs of stunning piano playing. If you're into solo piano of the Romantic era, it's a great way to bootstrap a collection.
There's also a similar set of concerto recordings that I should really pick up. posted by dfan at 8:06 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
I like Ross, but that "enigmatic reputation" phrase is so curious...I assume it means "a reputation for being an enigma" but that seems like a slight misuse of the word. The only option is that the reputation itself is an enigma, but how is that even possible? posted by Ian A.T. at 8:18 PM on June 9, 2010
Damn it, there used to be a video of her playing Liszt's hungarian rhapsody #6 wherein she simply tears up the octaves in the 3rd section. I can only find her Funerailles now, which has the same wonderful focus on her hands... this compensates, i believe joe, for the admittedly shitty youtube sound. posted by Cold Lurkey at 8:45 PM on June 9, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nice, thanks for posting this, Joe! posted by carter at 8:47 PM on June 9, 2010
I don't want to sound puerile but she's really hot!
I can't find the pic, but there's an album cover where Argerich and Nelson Freire are looking at each other with a stare like they want to tear off each others clothing. Her playing is as passionate. posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:48 PM on June 9, 2010 [2 favorites]
She's extraordinary. Thanks for the links Joe, elmono and unliteral. posted by homunculus at 9:08 PM on June 9, 2010
Ever heard her play Shostakovitch's 1st?. I think she does it wonderfully.
posted by elmono at 7:59 PM on June 9, 2010