Martha Argerich, Renaud Capucon, Mischa Maisky - Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56; Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54 (2004)

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Martha Argerich, Renaud Capucon, Mischa Maisky - Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56; Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54 (2004)

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The Beethoven Triple Concerto is a strange work, with the most important–-or at least prominent–-solos given to the cello; it is the instrument which introduces each movement. The remarkable Martha Argerich wisely allows Mischa Maisky to shine in his solos and leading position, but her contribution is anything but back seat. Her customary virtuosity is everywhere in evidence, and, in a way, she turns the piano into the spinal column of the work, with the violin and cello playing around her. Every time Maisky is about to lapse into a mannerism which might detract–-too much sliding, a dynamic slightly exaggerated–-Argerich brings him back, and both of them play with handsome tone. Capucon's violin is recorded a bit stridently (this was taped live in Lugano), but his playing is equally stunning. Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky leads the orchestra matter-of-factly until the final movement, when he catches the proper fire. In the Schumann A minor concerto Argerich is wonderful the solo passages and a fine partner in orchestrated ones and she really makes much of both the lyrical runs and the dance-like passages in the last movement. Recommended.

Review by Robert Levine

While recordings of Beethoven's Concerto for piano, violin and cello and orchestra in C major, Op. 56, have never been thick on the ground and listeners must therefore be grateful for every single one, isn't this July 2002 recording by Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon, and Mischa Maisky with Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky conducting the Orchestra della Svizzera italiana just a wee bit much? Even discounting the irrepressible exuberance of pianist Argerich and the unending enthusiasm of cellist Maisky, isn't their performance here a little bit too much like a couple of showoffs grandstanding? And don't they just walk all over violinist Capuçon, making him an accompanist in his own concerto? And don't they just run all over conductor Rabinovitch-Barakovsky, making the accompanist a timekeeper in a symphonic concerto? Stick with the Richter/Oistrakh/Rostropovich/Karajan, a true partnership of interpretative equals.

And while recordings of Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54, have never been in short supply and numerous pirate performances of Argerich's way with the work have circulated for decades, this is only her second legitimate recording of the work. It is also far the better of the two recordings, but then, the other recording was made with conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt, the man who elevated perverse eccentricity to the level of an interpretative style. Whatever one may care to say about Rabinovitch-Barakovsky – and he is at best a non-entity – he is still willing to try to follow the score. And while this is not the greatest recording of Argerich performing the Schumann concerto in existence, it is still a whole lot better than her weird and willful recording with Harnoncourt. EMI's live sound is a wee bit recessed and a little bit distant.

Review by James Leonard, Allmusic.com

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Martha Argerich, Renaud Capucon, Mischa Maisky - Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56; Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54 (2004)

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Martha Argerich, Renaud Capucon, Mischa Maisky - Beethoven: Triple Concerto, Op. 56; Schumann: Piano Concerto, Op. 54 (2004)

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