MARTHA ARGERICH EDITION, CHAMBER MUSIC

CD1

1. Violin Sonata No. 9 in A, 'Kreutzer' Op. 47 - I. Adagio sostenuto - Presto

2. Violin Sonata No. 9 in A, 'Kreutzer' Op. 47 - II. Andante con variazioni 1-4

3. Violin Sonata No. 9 in A, 'Kreutzer' Op. 47 - III. Finale (Presto)

4. Violin Sonata in A - I. Allegretto ben moderato

5. Violin Sonata in A - II. Allegro

6. Violin Sonata in A - III. Recitativo - Fantasia (Ben moderato - Molto lento)

7. Violin Sonata in A - IV. Allegretto poco mosso

CD2

1. Piano Quartet No.3 in C Major, WoO 36 - Allegro vivace

2. Piano Quartet No.3 in C Major, WoO 36 - Adagio con espressione

3. Piano Quartet No.3 in C Major, WoO 36 - Finale. Allegro

4. Piano Trio in B flat major Op. 11 - I. Allegro con brio

5. Piano Trio in B flat major Op. 11 - II. Adagio

6. Piano Trio in B flat major Op. 11 - III. Allegretto

7. Piano Trio No. 5 in D Major, Op.70 No.1 "Ghost" - I. Allegro vivace e con brio

8. Piano Trio No. 5 in D Major, Op.70 No.1 "Ghost" - II. Largo assai ed espressivo

9. Piano Trio No. 5 in D Major, Op.70 No.1 "Ghost" - III. Presto

10. Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C, Op.3 - Introduction

11. Introduction and Polonaise brillante in C, Op.3 - Alla polacca - Allegro con spirito

CD3

1. Violin Sonata No.1 in A Minor, Op.105 - Mit leidenschaftlichem Ausdruck

2. Violin Sonata No.1 in A Minor, Op.105 - Allegretto

3. Violin Sonata No.1 in A Minor, Op.105 - Lebhaft

4. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op.121 - I. Ziemlich langsam und energisch - Lebhaft

5. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op.121 - II. Sehr lebhaft

6. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op.121 - III. Leise, einfach (etwas lebhafter - etwas bewegter - tempo wie vorher)

7. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Minor, Op.121 - IV. Bewegt

8. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - I. Zart und mit Ausdruck

9. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - II. Lebhaft, leicht

10. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - III. Rasch und mit Feuer

11. Märchenbilder, Op.113 - I. Nicht schnell

12. Märchenbilder, Op.113 - II. Lebhaft

13. Märchenbilder, Op.113 - III. Rasch

14. Märchenbilder, Op.113 - IV. Langsam, mit melancholischem Ausdruck

CD4

1. Piano Quintet in Eb Major, Op.44 - I. Allegro brillante

2. Piano Quintet in Eb Major, Op.44 - II. In modo d'una marcia. Un poco largamente

3. Piano Quintet in Eb Major, Op.44 - III. Scherzo. Molto vivace

4. Piano Quintet in Eb Major, Op.44 - IV. Allegro ma non troppo

5. Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op.47 - I. Sostenuto assai - Allegro ma non troppo

6. Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op.47 - II. Scherzo (Molto vivace) & Trio

7. Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op.47 - III. Andante cantabile

8. Piano Quartet in E Flat Major, Op.47 - IV. Finale (Vivace)

9. Andante and Variations in B Flat Major, Op.46 - Sostenuto - Andante espressivo - Un poco più animato - Più lento - Un poco più lento

10. Andante and Variations in B Flat Major, Op.46 - Più lento - Animato -

11. Andante and Variations in B Flat Major, Op.46 - Doppio movimento - Tempo primo - Più adagio

CD5

1. Piano Trio in G Major, Hob.XV:25 - Andante

2. Piano Trio in G Major, Hob.XV:25 - Poco adagio, cantabile

3. Piano Trio in G Major, Hob.XV:25 - Rondo all'ongarese (presto)

4. Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor, Op.49 - Molto Allegro ed agitato

5. Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor, Op.49 - Andante con moto tranquillo

6. Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor, Op.49 - Scherzo : Leggiero e vivace

7. Piano Trio No.1 in D Minor, Op.49 - Finale : Allegro assai appassionato

8. Phantasiestücke, Op.88 - Romanze. Nicht schnell, mit innigem Ausdruck

9. Phantasiestücke, Op.88 - Humoreske. Lebhaft

10. Phantasiestücke, Op.88 - Duett. Langsam und mit Ausdruck

11. Phantasiestücke, Op.88 - Finale. Im Marsch-Tempo

12. Cello Sonata - I. Prologue (Lent - Sostenuto e molto risoluto)

13. Cello Sonata - II. Sérénade et Final (Modérément animé - Animé)

14. Cello Sonata - La Plus que lente (arr. Maisky: cello & piano)

15. Préludes (arr. Maisky: cello & piano) - Minstrels

CD6

1. Cello Sonata in A major - I. Allegretto ben moderato

2. Cello Sonata in A major - II. Allegro

3. Cello Sonata in A major - III. Recitativo - Fantasia (Ben moderato - Molto lento)

4. Cello Sonata in A major - IV. Allegretto poco mosso

5. Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz.75 - I. Allegro appassionato

6. Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz.75 - II. Adagio

7. Violin Sonata No. 1, Sz.75 - III. Allegro

8. Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet & Piano - First movement: Verbunkos (Recruiting Dance)

9. Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet & Piano - Second movement: Pihenö (Relaxation)

10. Contrasts for Violin, Clarinet & Piano - Third movement: Sebes (Fast Dance)

CD7

1. Quintet for Piano & Strings in G Minor, Op.57 - Prelude: Lento

2. Quintet for Piano & Strings in G Minor, Op.57 - Fugue: Adagio

3. Quintet for Piano & Strings in G Minor, Op.57 - Scherzo: Allegretto

4. Quintet for Piano & Strings in G Minor, Op.57 - Intermezzo: Lento -

5. Quintet for Piano & Strings in G Minor, Op.57 - Finale: Allegretto

6. Trio for Piano, Violin & Cello, No. 2 in E Minor, Op.67 - I. Andante - Moderato

7. Trio for Piano, Violin & Cello, No. 2 in E Minor, Op.67 - II. Allegro non troppo

8. Trio for Piano, Violin & Cello, No. 2 in E Minor, Op.67 - III. Largo

9. Trio for Piano, Violin & Cello, No. 2 in E Minor, Op.67 - IV. Allegretto

10. Concertino for Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon - I. Moderato

11. Concertino for Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon - II. Pi¨ mosso

12. Concertino for Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon - III. Con moto

13. Concertino for Piano, 2 Violins, Viola, Clarinet, Horn and Bassoon - IV. Allegro

CD8

1. Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, Op.44 - I. Allegro brillante

2. Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, Op.44 - II. In modo d'una marcia, un poco largamente

3. Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, Op.44 - III. Scherzo (Molto vivace) and Trios I & II

4. Piano Quintet in E Flat Major, Op.44 - IV. Allegro ma non troppo

5. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor Op.121 - I. Ziemlich langsam und energisch - Lebhaft

6. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor Op.121 - II. Sehr lebhaft

7. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor Op.121 - III. Leise, einfach (etwas lebhafter - etwas bewegter - tempo wie vorher)

8. Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor Op.121 - IV. Bewegt

9. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - I. Zart und mit Ausdruck

10. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - II. Lebhaft, leicht - Coda: Nach und nach ruhiger

11. Fantasiestücke, Op.73 - III. Rasch und mit Feuer - Coda: Schneller

Martha Argerich

Martha Argerich was born on 5th June 1941 in Buenos Aires. Her interest in the piano showed itself when she was three. Vincenzo Scaramuzza, her teacher, impressed on her the importance of feeling and the singing lyrical line – a facet of her playing which remains immediately recognisable. At the age of eight she made her debut concert playing Beethoven’s first concerto and the following year she gave Mozart’s Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466 and Bach’s French Suite in G, BWV 816.

In 1955 her family moved to Europe so that Martha could study with Friedrich Gulda in Austria; in this she was supported by the Argentine government who gave her parents diplomatic posts in their Embassy in Vienna. She won both the Geneva Music and Ferruccio Busoni International Competitions in 1957, but it was her winning the seventh Chopin Piano competition in Warsaw that confirmed her as a major talent at the age of 24.

Her formidable technique has often been compared to that of Horowitz. She is reputed to have learnt Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit in three days having been told it was extremely difficult. Her solo career lasted for a quarter of a century during which her talent for interpreting the romantic classics, notably Chopin and Liszt, were matched by her brilliance in the 20th century masters Ravel, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Messiaen. Her decision to limit her performances to chamber music and concerto was taken, as she admitted in interviews, to her feeling of loneliness on stage alone. This has been her career path for the last 30 years and she retains the aura of one of the most brilliant of all pianists of modern generations.

She has been particularly generous in supporting the next generation of artists.

She appears regularly as a jury member at important competitions and her friends and protégées captivate audiences with exquisite performances of chamber music at her festival at Lugano. Now at the age of 70 we can salute her as the phenomenon she undoubtedly is and wish her continued success in all aspects of her life.

EMI Classics 8cds 0940142