Argerich plays Gaspard de la Nuit - Scarbo

[ander2365]

I really like it, martha really knows how to show darkness. i'd like to see a version mixed this and valentina lisitsa :P

[fctchk]

If you'd like to be woken up after this and stop M. Ravel spinning in his grave, listen to Samson François' version. No theatrics, no artsyfartsyness, no exaggerated - now watch me scream now watch me whisper - dynamics, no drowned in pedal rallentandi and accelerandi. Instead: straight to the point and to the gut.

It's about the music señora Argerich, not about you.

[Scarbogn]

@fctchk Everybody is entitled their own opinion, and by listening to Samson François's Scarbo after reading your comment I'd say i'ts quite the opposite, but again, that's my mere opinion...

[mmoynan]

@fctchk It's funny, because I too just listened to Francois' version, and I found HIS to be the very way you described Argerich's. Everyone really does have different tastes, huh!

[Mattkzenmusic]

@fctchk Wow. Do you play? How could you even imagine that one is better than another? If one does not express themselves, it is a dead piece of music. No matter how brilliant, if it is not alive it betrays the music. This is alive, and soulful. I will check the other out, but I am sure I will only see it as different and not better or worse.

[SoulinMusicinSoul]

I love it!!

[donaldcallen]

This incredible woman combines a rare musical imagination with seemingly limitless reserves of control, power, and speed. I'm a pretty good amateur pianist, I've played this piece and I just listen to this and shake my head in disbelief. I don't like all of Argerich's playing, but at her best, it's piano-playing at the most rarified level (I'm talking about the space occupied by Rachmaninoff, Hofmann, Lhevinne, and Horowitz).

[niru54321]

@donaldcallen how can you be an amateur when you say you can play one of the hardest pieces in the piano repertoire? lol

[donaldcallen]

@niru54321 The best amateurs play at a very high level. At the 2007 Boston Piano Amateurs competition, Rupert Egerton-Smith, who received the second-place prize, gave a performance of Gaspard to rival anything I've ever heard from all but the best professionals (Argerich, Ashkenazy, Michelangeli). Your question displays an ignorance of this. Next time the Cliburn Amateur is held, listen to some of the performances on the web; you'll be amazed.

[LittleArgerich]

i prefer the live recording...

[Murrocks]

stunning playing!

[Anastazja5]

my beautiful martha

[NigelPRagtime]

It's a very nice piece..but i think Mariangelo Vacatello has the best interperetation of it. Martha does a great job too.

[khbsflabhklsrblfauhk]

Wow! I''m simply blown away by this recording! I love this piece, and when someone can play it well, then it becomes phenomenal!

[SHERIDAN487]

Mme Argerich - impeccable performance (of course). Would anyone care to post/comment on the Nadia Cole recording that IMHO is in same category?

[uhartchristian]

I heard the Eliane Richepin interpretation of Gaspard de la Nuit..... unforgettable.... Martha Argerich comes near to this. Unfortunately there seems to be no Ravel recordings left by Eliane Richepin . She met Ravel when young and had lots of indications from him how to play. Was a composer herself (she won the prix de rome) and studied with Falkenberg, Cortot and Yves Nat) and gave thousands of recitals (with and without orchestra) . Hope some recordings will come up one time here....

[Dankbarkeit1980]

Realy? I' ve never heard of this pianist. Is it possible to find recordings of her (Eliane Richepin) ?

[uhartchristian]

I don t know if today her recordings are still available, you should see at your record shop . Eliane Richepin when already 75 years old did edit the 4 Ballades of Chopin with some Marzurkas in france And some years before the integrale of the Preludes of Chopin. These two recordings should be available. But there could be much more in USA as she did play a lot with orchestra there , and the radio stations in USA and france should have quite a lot.....

[billyguns2]

Is this the live from Amsterdam recording? Aregerich's SCARBO is in a class by itself, and yes, I've heard Michelangeli's!

[marginallymental]

this is the playing of this piece I grew up with, and it's still one of my favorites. Martha Argerich's ability to sing with her fingers while playing Ravel is second to none, in my opinion.

[ARCHI4110]

OTO GENIUSZ KLAWIATURY !

Martha Argerich ! ! !

[Querfahrer69]

Der Kobold lebt!!!

[Pischnaholic]

It's all very good, of course. I am aware that she deliberately holds back on sound and speed in many places and aims at subtlety instead. It's a very detailed rendition, but for me it lacks forward thrust and loses momentum too often to have the desired impact. I get the feeling she's WANDERING through a disjointed series of nightmare visions.

R. Egerton-Smith gives a much more cohesive, colorful and passionate account of Scarbo than this. His is simply the best, yet it passes unnoticed.

[rigel48]

Mr Egerton-Smith gives a very good account of Gaspard de la Nuit, but to say that he is the best is widely exaggerated !

Concerning the atmosphere of mystery and terror of Scarbo, the richness of sound and the building of the piece, I find Argerich more impressive than Egerton-Smith. She knows certainly where to go and how, and her Scarbo has a fantastic drive. Your feeling she is wandering is purely your invention !

[Pischnaholic]

There's no accounting for taste, is there?

I have great admiration for Argerich, but many of her interpretations, while always pianistically impressive, often fail to move me. Her playing is often more about her than whatever composer she is performing.

I agree that no one is "the best." I should have said, that I like RES's interpretation best. I'm glad you listened to him and see he is good.

My purpose has been to pique curiosity about him. I resist the lure of fame for fame's sake.

[rigel48]

What strikes me with Argerich's Scarbo, is her total respect of the score. All the nuances, all the indications are done. Her range of tone and shading is extraordinary. And of course her imagination and deep understanding of Ravel's style and Aloysius Bertrand poetry make this Scarbo a reference.

[Dankbarkeit1980]

Yes, you are right, specialy in YouTube nobody dares to make critik on Argerichs playing because a lot of hysterical fans will attack him.

I realy cannot understand why your comment has 3 thumbs under (-3), I mean, you just said your opinion, you didn't attacked her...

[Andre1214]

This is an outstanding performance, but I prefer the perfection of Michelangeli's performance.

[aguyfromtexas]

Why is it that you alwayss advocate RES?! I listened to his Islamey which was allegedly so much better than Horowitz and Barerre's, and I was not impressed. Mister Egerton-Smith has tallent, yes, but some people go unnoticed for a reason. Dmitri Levkovich now.... That's another story. His Rachmaninoff e minor prelude blows Ashkenazy out of the water. =]

[misterbg1]

3:12 - 3:30 ... Gorgeous.

[jero13595]

She does a better job in the video uploaded by stephenTGV in my opinion.

[growek]

my favourite Argerich version of Scarbo is from her recital at the Concertgebouw. Wow!

[Scarbogn]

Is there a recording of that version? if so I would like to listen to it :D

[kimolerik]

Dear Scarbogn, I have just uploaded that recording. I hope you like it :)

[4785689]

@Scarbogn it's on yt

[laqin007]

the best!

[OrangeSodaKing]

martha argerich is the best living pianist

however, pogorelich did a slightly better job on this movement in my opinion