Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.1
Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben
Staatskapelle Berlin
Daniel Barenboim conductor
Martha Argerich piano
20 April 2015, Royal Festival Hall, London
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A concert featuring Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim? Who could resist? And with Stephen Kovacevich in the audience there were at least three master pianists at the Royal Festival Hall on the night. This concert was burdened with the highest expectations, but for those who had travelled from far and wide to attend there was to be no disappointment.
The Beethoven First Piano Concerto commenced with the most hushed of openings from the excellent Berlin Staatskapelle, before blooming into a wonderful tutti. The golden string section rippling attractively without over-romanticisation. This classical approach was taken up by Argerich and a totally engaging performance developed. Martha Argerich is probably incapable of being dull. The subtle variation and weighting of passages, the crystalline attack on notes and chords, were sublime.
And the musicianship needed to be of a top level. The interpretation was daringly broad, at times almost static, but saved by the massive artistic command of the musicians and the sheer delight of the musicality of the performance. How exquisite to hear such interplay, the free flowing meeting of musical minds.
That the performance was met with an ovation was perhaps to be expected. What followed was not. Out came an extra piano stool and Barenboim and Argerich proceeded to give a thoroughly leisurely account of Schubert’s Rondo for piano 4 hands. The two pianists sat close together at the piano across almost 10 minutes of golden melody. Unforgettable.
The Berlin Staatskapelle rounded off the evening with a very fine account of Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben. The concertmaster was the most relaxed of violin soloists depicting the Hero’s wife, and Barenboim coaxed a satisfying shape and sonority to the quasi-Wagnerian conclusion.
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