Martha Argerich Live at Tokyo

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 KV466; Concerto for three pianos KV242; Adagio KV261; Symphony No. 32 KV318
Beethoven Rondo from Triple Concerto

Martha Argerich, Renaud Capuçon, Paul and Rico Gulda;
New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra/Christian Arming

Opus Arte DVD 1004 D [106 mins; filmed Jan 2005]

This Mozart concert was recorded live in Tokyo at an anniversary memorial concert "In Joyful Remembrance of Friedrich Gulda", Argerich's most important teacher. It is well recorded and the attractive Japanese orchestra is discreetly guided by the young conductor Christian Arming.

Following a commanding D minor concerto (see excerpts on YouTube) the rest of the programme is attractive, with Gulda's sons Paul and Rico joining Argerich in a high spirited performance of Mozart's Concerto for three pianos and Renaud Capuçon in the adagio KV261, a welcome change from the dominating sound of the Steinways.

For something really different there is a strong account of the Rondo finale of Beethoven's Triple concerto - if you're not sure about that, check out a video on UTube with Barenboim, Perlmann & Yo-Yo Ma.

There is a disjunction with the notes provided, which take up a lot of space about Argerich's mercurial temperament and her complicated private life. We are promised a Mozart rondo, and there should also have been a featured violist who never appears...

The filming is sensitive and this DVD should give Argerich and Mozart fans a lot of pleasure.