I met the most beautiful, amazing person in the world. I have admired her performances for years. Martha Argerich, Argentine pianist with magic hands and magic interpretation.
She made the piano live and breathe.
In Davies Symphony Hall, she performed a piano duo recital of Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Lutoslawski, Schubert, and Ravel with Nelson Freire. Freire and Argerich are natural together and have played together for years. I performed the Brahms in college and I aspire to have melodies emerge as beautifully as they emerged on their stage that night.
If you haven’t heard these, you need to listen to them:
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Suite No. 2 (powerful, passionate, Russian)
Ravel’s La Valse, two pianos (whirlwind waltz dissolving into chaos)
Ravel’s orchestral version is also exciting.
Milhaud’s La Creation du Monde (I performed this in France with fellow pianist and friend Jason a couple of years ago. It was exciting, nerve-racking, and fun)
Ravel’s Jeux d’Eau (one of my favorite solo pieces)
Granados’ Goyescas (Spanish composer, pieces based on Goya portraits)
Albeniz’s Iberia (another Spanish composer, piece in three movements)