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106 of 113 found the following review helpful:
 A scorcher!Dec 12, 1999
By Eddy Oquendo
Rachmaninoff's piano concerto number three has never attained the popularity of his more lush, second concerto, but it's his most monumental. It recieved proper reverence in the movie "Shine," as it is, at the apex of the piano repertoire.While I own several, worthy recordings of this masterpiece, Argerich's version, with Chailly and the RIAS Symphony Orchestra Berlin, is my favorite. This is a no-holds-barred interpretation, with Martha rampaging through this monster like a woman possessed. She flexes her virtuosic muscles with Olympian authority, brutal speed, and the brashness of youth. This is no cold, pedagogical rendition, my friends; this is an emotionally charged, lustful orgy of notes! That's what romanticism is all about, isn't it? Just listen to the wild applause at the end, those people knew that they had witnessed magic! The "live" aspect of this CD is a real plus, lending an air of occasion to the performance. "Live" recordings are difficult to engineer properly, but this effort is captured nicely, with a clear, "upfront," yet spacious sound. Great performances are much more pleasing when they're capably recorded. Also on this disc is an excellent rendition of Tchaikovsky's (very popular) piano concerto number one, with Kondrashin. This performance is, likewise, well recorded. Argerich's blazing treatment of the final movement whips the audience into a thunderously jubilant appreciation for what they've just heard. I mention audience reaction (twice) for good reason; listening to these efforts, I'm caught up in the passion of the moment in which they were recorded, and I feel as one with those lucky ticket-holders. You will too!
52 of 54 found the following review helpful:
I love Martha !Mar 08, 2001
By Alejandra Vernon
"artist & illustrator"
By far my favorite recording of Rachmaninoff's 3rd, Martha rips into it with such passion and strength, capturing our hearts with her rendition of this flamboyant and magnificent concerto, that displays a pianists virtuosity and allows for some wild showmanship. Those that became familiar with the piece from seeing the film "Shine", should hear this performance ! Martha, with her stunning technique, plays it to the max. On this CD you get an extravagantly emotional double bill, with a fabulous Tchaikovsky 1st as well. A melodic celebration of romanticism, it's here played with dazzling gusto. These are live performance recordings from 1982 (Rachmaninoff) and 1980 (Tchaikovsky) and must have been quite a treat to witness, as her public appearances have been few and far between. She is peerless, a genius in all her glory, and as Bryce Morrison writes in his liner notes, "Argerich defies even whispered comparisons".
30 of 32 found the following review helpful:
May not be for everyoneJan 14, 2000
To me you can not get a better recording of the Rach 3. Her technique is above and beyond Horowitz and the speed is frightening at times. However I have to admit that Martha Argerich is not for everyone. Some of you who like the older schools of music, the more specific and riggid schools of piano, probably want to find someone else playing. Martha has some very unique musical ideas and does not follow all the markings exactly. This is a GREAT recording though.
20 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 Blood and a lot of guts ..Aug 30, 2005
By Andrew Lim
I am a big fan of Argerich who is undoubtedly one of the most talented of all pianists. This particular performance of the Rachmaninov 3rd has attracted an enormous amount of attention, and rightly so considering the pyrotechnics that Argerich generates; the pianism is truly remarkable and this is a remarkable performance.
This being said, however, I do not believe this is a performance that I will return to very often because it is a performance that `wows' me, but not one that I can lose myself in. While it is exciting, it is exciting in the way that seeing a animal being devoured by a preditor is exciting - an amazing spectacle and a great story to tell, but not a scene that you would necessarily wish to see too many times. (Please don't read too deeply into this statement; I'm not saying that `The concerto is like the animal, and Argerich is like the preditor, and she does to the concerto what a hungry lion does to a deer', and neither am I saying, `I will listen to this performance as many times as I would like to see an animal being run down by a car', or anything along these lines; I'm just trying to give a sense of the impact that this performance had on me).
Nevertheless, this recording is remarkable, and is a must for all fans of the Rachmaninov 3 and Martha Argerich.
7 of 7 found the following review helpful:
 wild and exciting (perhaps too so)Feb 03, 2002
By C Drummond
These are very interesting recordings of two of the great Romantic piano concertos. They are both very fast recordings (though contrary to the editorial review, not as fast as Horowitz's seminal recordings with either Reiner or Barbirolli). Martha Argerich plays like a woman possessed which at times appears lacking in sensitivity or control. For instance, the chordal cadenza of the 1st movement of the Rachmaninoff sounds clumsy, and the flashy pianistic climax of the finale of the Tchaikovsky feels overly rushed. However, there are times, especially in the finale of the Rachmaninoff and the intermezzo of the Tchaikovsky, during which her style works wonderfully and shows unparalleled virtuosity. Overall the recordings are very satisfying, despite occasional mistakes and lapses in timing between the piano and orchestra. However, I have mentioned Vladimir Horowitz and I simply cannot recommend these recordings above his performances with Reiner (Rachmaninoff) and Toscanini (Tchaikovsky in the legendary War Bond concert). As an addition to those recordings though, this CD is a fine purchase.
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