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Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon, Mischa Maisky, Alexandre Rabinovitch-Barakovsky/Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana
BEETHOVEN: TRIPLE CONCERTO; SCHUMANN: PIANO CONCERTO
(EMI)
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This inconsistent pair of live recordings point up the benefits and the drawbacks of Argerich’s explosive, edge-of-the seat approach. The Beethoven gets a vibrant performance that seems to emanate from the pianist’s volatile energy — her muscular bass lines sound like the motor behind this energetic rendition. Perhaps because of the need to stay in synch with the other two soloists — violinist Renaud Capuçon and cellist Mischa Maisky, both of whom have beautiful solos in the slow movement — the performance sounds fiery but not mannered, especially the final Rondo. The Schumann is a less happy affair: there’s so much pushing and pulling with the tempos, sudden dynamic changes, and odd rhythmic accents that any sense of line or phrasing goes out the window. There are a few exciting moments, and some unusual details emerge from Argerich’s playing. But this concerto needs coordination and control more than fireworks, and after a while, all the octane comes to seem pretty one-dimensional. Rabinovitch-Barakovsky manages to keep orchestra and soloist together most of the time, which is a feat in itself, but can’t give the movements much overall shape. Perhaps the performance made more of an impact live — the audience seemed to think so. (Martha Argerich and Alexander Gurning play a duo recital this Wednesday, August 25, at Seiji Ozawa Hall, and they appear with the Boston Symphony Orchestra next Friday, August 27, at the Koussevitzky Music Shed, both at Tanglewood; call 888-266-1200.)
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