ARGERICH,MARTHA - RACHMANINOFF: CONCERTO NO. 3 / TCHAIKOVSKY: CONCERTO NO. 1 - [CD]

Martha Argerich's reputation is secure. She will go down in history as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, touching everything she does with a scorching genius. And of her all-too-few recordings, this is one of the most celebrated: live performances of two of the great warhorses of the piano concerto repertoire, here transformed into the sleekest, most finely honed of racehorses. Tantalisingly, her Rachmaninov Third had to wait 13 years before it was issued, but when it finally arrived no one was in any doubt that it had been worth the wait. Its epic 45-minute span emerges here as a single stream of consciousness, with the finale as brilliantly explosive as you'll ever hear it. In the Tchaikovsky (from two years earlier), too, it doesn't matter that the opening is one of the most hackneyed things in all music--Argerich's performance is a one-off. High praise should also be heaped upon conductors and orchestras for keeping up with this most volatile of artists without upset. There is no need to hesitate: if you love these pieces, this recording demands a place on your shelves. --Harriet Smith