Martha Agerich plays Chopin Andante Spianato

[cswilkins100]

Who cares if she's Argentinian? This talent, and doubly so for that of the creator of the piece, transcends arbitrary, man-made boundaries. Beautiful.

[Amelia4144]

I'm an argentinian too and so proud for Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim and Bruno Gelber who I heard last night in a splendid concert he offered to us in this little village, province of Cordoba... In spite of dreadful governments, we have always raised extraordinary talents, who knows why?, but they exist.

[kathespo]

Look up Pink Martini's, "La Soledad..." sounds oddly familiar...

[MozartK365]

I think andante spianato is more beautiful than the nocturnes...

[crobc1]

This kind of artistically deep playing impresses me even more than "heavy metal" virtuoso pianism!

[ricksea888]

Simply breath-taking..amazing!

[gabriella60730]

ugy jatszik mint egy ballerina aki a tenger felett setal almodozva

[gabriella60730]

SUCH A GREAT GREAT PIANIST!

[scout6686]

so beautiful

[giuseppe76761]

ascoltate la rafinatezza di michelangeli senza nulla togliere alla grandissima argerich ,ma michelangeli non ha eguali,il suo suono e' ancor oggi misterioso

[lilytoka]

Breathtaking!

[saunsnaen]

wonderful delicacy and timing-----what a delight!

[ShipperS7]

I wonder what instrument she recorded on? It has a very interesting sound, especially in the lower register

[chobeethaninov]

I have shivers going up and down my spine, this is so beautiful.

[WinIsGod]

i've lost count of the times i've replayed this

[Sonorazzi]

This is heavenly! Argerich applies her phenominal technique in this piece to utilize the control needed to play as delicately as she does here.

[hymnofashes]

With a nice G&T and a sleeping cat on my lap while my lover makes dinner, this sounds just as nice as can be.

[DreamPiano]

Marvellous interpretation !

[polymath7]

Perfect. Absolutely perfect. There is not a micron of room for improvement.

[hymnofashes]

@polymath7 My contrarian spirit is unable to find the fabled micron. I am compelled to agree.

[rey6333]

para mi su interpretación es excelente!

beautiful & great performance!

[HJKey]

A better version of Andante Spianato? DOES NOT EXIST. I love Argerich so much and I'm so proud of her of being argentinian as I am.

[psyberseb]

@HJKey Coincido AMPLIAMENTE.

[carlosr86]

You missed the first R in her last name. Please correct it so that everyone can find this wonderful performance easier.

[MegaCrazyDann]

Martha is my goddess.

[XNotaki]

I thihg the best performance!!!!

[denidowi]

She is playing it like a harp.

Ease and Beauty: who can play pieces like this as well as she?

[duiduisg]

Focoist911

i tell you i want to slap you you are just ridiculous and...

[duiduisg]

is it just me or this is like so soft???

[denidowi]

@duiduisg No, it is not you: so get a grip on your seat for a ride into the pure ethereal ;)

[BrookHornblower]

the best version of the andante spianato

[Cocobear538]

Not bad. I believed this was recorded when she was much older. She sounds much mature and softer now than when she was younger. People judge how she is better than the other pianists, forget that she is also much older, and had has much more experience since she won the Chopin piano competition like if not 40 maybe 30 years ago?

[denidowi]

@Cocobear538 ALL pianists move on in years ... er ...wotzza point??

[yougonndie]

Sublime

[kaiolive]

Please correct Martha Argerich name in the video title.Thanks for the post !

[hotbebimauz]

i can't help it, everytime i listen to the andante spiantato by chopin it sounds very much like field's nocturne no. 12 in g major. by no doubt chopin was influenced by field very much! field was also a great composer, sadly hes often forgotten!

[denidowi]

@hotbebimauz Very true ... but how did you like, also, the sheer glorious rendition here of Argerich?

Absolute magical touch and musicianship

[XNotaki]

I think that this is the best performance by Martha Argerich

[denidowi]

@XNotaki Certainly she invests herself into the music: does she not?

[khoslar1]

Sensitive and played with a delicate touch, as perhaps Chopin intended it. A sad piece I feel.

[maddorox]

@khoslar1 i feel happy while listening to this O_O

[Toweley22992]

Absolutely wonderful tone

[pianopianissima]

Martha for ever !!!! wonderful artist, exceptional woman, so free, so generous....

[iloveclams]

@someoneinusa that's absurd. yundi li does a fine job interpreting chopin...

but anyway, I love martha :) she's as beautiful as she sounds

[MadamePukengkay]

No, langlang is the best.

[rhapsodyinblue18]

@MadamePukengkay

you can talk forever about who is "better" or "best." when it comes down to it (at the professional level, that is), there are no "better" musicians/artists, only *different* ones.

[silvr94]

this is divine...

[fortezimo]

I'm gonna melt.

[HJKey]

This is gorgeous, just gorgeous...I'm so proud of her...and she's Argentine as I am!

[rometube]

She's absolutely "Wspaniale" here.

[studdingsails]

Beautifully played.

[XxrawrawrawrxX]

I like the motion and expression. If too slow as in Michelangeli's, eventhough he has fantastic touch and feel, makes it not interesting as Argerich.

[phus2001]

This a great interpretation but Michelangeli puts an additional spin. Notes come out of his hands as if it was per magic influence. His sound is DIVINE

[someoneinusa]

Chopin would say; Wspaniale! (Wonderfull, in polish)

Everyone say it in Chopin's (and mine) native Poland; Only Poles, French, Russians, also latino can capture the Chopin romantic spirit!

Japanese, Chinesse are suberbly accururate but too automatic and strict as interpretors of Chopin's music. Sorry if I offended anyone.

[divajc]

She is the epitome of the saying "tickle the ivories!"

[buddydog1956]

I think Chopin came down from Heaven to touch this woman! She is blessed beyond it all! She's incomparable!

What an interpretation of this beautiful piece! What a joy to listen to....!

[briarcliffbaron]

This particular interpretation is "tops" in my book . . . right tempo, right everything .. . .thanks for sharing this

[robertslistening]

The speed is good for my taste. I can easily see this in the background of a movie. That's one of the tests I have. It should fit into a scene somewhere.

[genomos90]

great, but in my opinion a little bit too fast..anyway wonderful played.

[quallupiluit]

Awesome!

[XOXOCOLE]

so beautiful...~~~

[Darkwealder]

Focoist911,

You're a blind uneducated human-being. I am fascinated by every expression of music by Martha Argerich, she is expressive and put in love and passion and "things that can't be described with words" ! I will forever enjoy her music, no matter religion, race or anything.

[kempff95]

divine!!

great!

[Frozentoes1]

Yes..the "stillness" comes from the fact that his tempi are always too slow...very "still" like.

[tinypet]

Slowness alone doesn't make good music. It's the underlying tension (think iceberg w/ 90% concealed weight) that counts. Example of mere slowness, hence uninspiring performance: Arturo Michelangeli's rendition (video clip available somewhere). BTW I don't usually care for Brendel's playing, but what can I say, he owns this piece.

[rigel48]

What a sound she has !

In 1985 Claudio Arrau (another master of sound) was asked by a french magazine where to find today the first quality of the piano, his actual soul, the sound ? The sense, the care, the passion of sound ? His answer was : "Argerich, but who else ?".

[yogaman13]

I agree. People seem to be crazy about her "technique", but my favorite aspect of her playing has always been her wide variety of tone and her innate musicality. I feel like she is at her best when she is doing pieces like this one.

[denidowi]

@yogaman13 Yes; absolutely Beautiful.

Though, at the opposite end of the spectrum, many give her credit for the best ever performance of Rach's Concerto No 3

[Bret6464]

@yogaman13 It's not her technique that captivates, it's her artistry. There is immense beauty in this :-)

[fastben2010]

@rigel48 listen to sanson françois i think in this beginning the best is him

[laqullu]

Exquisito y sublime.

[lelilelu]

Sorry ClassicSteinwayJonas, I'm not English and I guess I'm not the only one in this situation... Please stop correcting our commentaries. I think people understand what we want to say, that's the matter.

[aardvaark069]

I find this playing rather unimaginative and without vital life-force. Try Josef Hofmann's live performance. It simply brims with life. It's the best performance out there I think.

[rigel48]

aardvaark069 you are right to invite people to listen to Josef Hofmann, one of the greatest pianists of all times, but you are wrong to dismiss Argerich here, because she is very faithful to the spirit of this work. "Andante spianato tranquillo" is indicated at the beginning. The "tranquillo" marking is better expressed by Argerich than by Hofmann who is a little hurried. With a more relaxed tempo she acheives a very moving atmosphere where life is certainly not missing !

[aardvaark069]

Rigel48 I will have to agree with you as to the "tranquillo" in her playing here. However I will have to stick to my prior judgemnt as to a certain unimaginative lifelessness in this playing. Perhaps it's the sheer fabulousness of Hofmann's performance that I am attracted to. If that is the case then I could be the Phillistine that I have always hoped no to be. At any rate your gentle rebuke is appreciated.

[PhillipLWilcher]

Sublime!

[ClassicSteinwayJonas]

This is remember of a girl I love.

[ClassicSteinwayJonas]

this song I mean

[lelilelu]

Martha playing andante : this video is rare one !

[ClassicSteinwayJonas]

very rare

[Pianda]

Please, please put "Polonaise op.22 in the title.

Otherweise a lot of people will never see resp. find this!

[amabeline]

Szkoda, że tylko jest introdukcja: andante spianato.

Już szykowałam się na słuchanie Wielkiego Poloneza...

A tu nici.

:))

[amabeline]

Słuchałam tego utworu w wykonaniu Marthy Argerich zaraz po wygraniu przez nią Konkursu Chopinowskiego w Warszawie w 1965 roku.

Moja ulubiona interpretatorka utworów Chopina.

[girgiii]

I have no words. Amazimg performance!!! So much music, so much grace, so much style... If I say bravo it wouldn't be enough :)

Martha is great!!!!!

[paulostroff99]

Only stars shine so brightly! Brava!

[vanessapastor]

5 stars!

[ClassicSteinwayJonas]

yesterday I just went to Lang Lang's concert in Seattle symphony and it was the best I've seen yet.

[AniaEmocja]

Nocą muzyka Chopina smakuje wybornie...

[laqin007]

I love her.

[dmcII]

laqin007 - Ha ! How could someone not love her ?  What a marvelous talent !

[nathanyyyy]

such a beautiful interpretation! and great singing tone. btw if you want to hear her playing the polonaise its on the steinway website (go to homepage, click on 'steinway legends' and then scroll to number 33) its absolutely gorgeous!!

[antino71]

Martha! Brava! unica! me haces sentir muy orgulloso de ser argentino!

[antino71]

Oh Martha!

So beautiful, so talented!

incredible performance! Bravissima!

[violapeipei]

she makes my cry.......

[violapeipei]

She is so beautiful!!!

i am a woman , but i must say this so too...

[BachFong11]

Where's the polonaise!? Could you upload it?

[aldebussy]

This makes me cry. She could die any moment and I might never meet her or not even attend one of her concerts. Captivating performance.

[BachFong11]

Dont say that. It makes me sad.

[anblanco333]

every one of us could die any momment pal.

[dasteufelhund]

know what poetic means?

[ProfessorSuckMah]

oh martha...!!!

[rigel48]

Perfect ! tempo, sound, delicacy, everything.

[Ellinidara]

thanks you Martha.....!!!!!!!!!!!you'll are immortal for everythink you have give to us:-))))

[anblanco333]

yes she is...

[aldebussy]

YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!!!