This 8 CD boxed set is another in a series to commemorate the
art of Martha Argerich in her 70th birthday year.
How lucky we all are as music-lovers to have the chance - where
we don’t already own them - of obtaining these fantastic performances
by a true artist. The title of one of the articles in the accompanying
booklet is “The spirit of collaboration”. That sums up this
set, for Argerich has, for many years, eschewed solo performances
in favour of the collaborative process where she shares the
platform with a whole range of world class colleagues, some
very well known and some less so. You can be sure that if she
wants to play with them they are at the very top of their musical
game. I recently reviewed her solo and duos set which I described
as “an embarrassment of riches”; this is an even greater one:
8 CDs of performances of the works of 9 composers in which she
is accompanied by a total of 23 different musicians! The choice
of repertoire cannot be faulted, involves plenty of variety
and shows Argerich as a perfect fellow musician whether in duos,
trios, quartets, quintets or septet.
CD 1 begins the journey with a performance of the Kreutzer
sonata that is so good it is as if one were hearing it for the
first time - as if a last jigsaw piece had been placed to complete
the picture that had eluded you before but is finally revealed.
These musicians are the music so excellence comes as
standard. That is the overriding impression that one is left
with at the end of the set; that Argerich has the ability to
be the catalyst that enables the others to perform to their
highest possible capacity. Together they produce performances
that are superlative in every way and that helps the listener
to reappraise every work they collaborate in and see them in
a new revealing light. There is no doubt that live concerts
almost always lead to the best performances; there is a saying
that is oft repeated in the world of jazz that “the best jazz
performances are never recorded” being live with no equipment
on hand to capture the moment. It is lucky therefore that that
is always the express intention at the festival in Lugano, Saratoga
and everywhere Argerich is involved. With a couple of notable
exceptions, in which she plays with Mischa Maisky at a recital
recorded in a studio at the Conservatoire in Geneva, all the
music here was recorded live. This produces such rapt attention
that one is barely aware of any audience, until the deserved
applause reminds us, and we are simply left with the results
and benefits of live performances that are so exceptionally
wonderful.
I have reviewed several recordings of the Franck Sonata
recently and remember how highly I praised the version with
Shlomo Mintz and Yefim Bronfman so now I’m in a quandary; how
does this compare? Well, I love them equally and wouldn’t want
to be without either. If the two recordings were racehorses
there would have to be a photo finish with a great deal of close
examination with magnifying glasses - not in terms of timings
as Argerich and Perlman are slightly faster and finish before
Mintz and Bronfman in each movement - but if anything Argerich
and Perlman find a soupcon of extra subtlety. I’ll have to leave
it in the ear of the listener to hear whether they discern that
too.
CD 2 is of three Beethoven works and one of Chopin.
It opens with Beethoven’s Piano Quartet Wo036 no.3 that is both
pure genius and very well known. The performance is finely measured
and full of panache, with an allegro finale that simply oozes
the joy of four supreme musicians relishing the collective music-making
experience. There’s an eruption from the audience at its close
that underlines how this was communicated to them. Beethoven’s
genius is, as they say these days “a given”; there is nothing
to say about the music that has not been said and the same pertains
to musicians such as those on these discs. Their “pedigree”
is flawless and, satisfaction is virtually 100% guaranteed.
So it is that we have another ravishing rendition in the shape
of Beethoven’s Clarinet Trio with Marek Denemark’s clarinet
sounding sumptuous alongside Mark Drobinsky’s gorgeously rich
cello. Once again the trio’s finale comes with joyous playing
which makes the most of Ludwig van’s innate ability to write
a humorous and brilliant theme and variations that he manages
to make sound so simple. Beethoven’s Piano Trio “Ghost” comes
next with another fine performance. The name became attached
to it - by others as is usual in such matters - due to the second
movement which has an eerie sounding theme, perhaps influenced
by the fact that Beethoven was contemplating writing some incidental
music for Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” at the time. Argerich’s partners
here join with her to emphasise the drama in the music to great
effect and the presto finale comes as light relief. The disc
is rounded off with Chopin’s Introduction and Polonaise brillante
in C, op.3. This takes us into a different world in which
romanticism has a far greater influence on the music than anything
Beethoven ever wrote. It sounds almost light and, dare I say
it, frivolous, after the cerebral works of Beethoven that preceded
it. That is not meant in any way to sell it short; it is a great
piece and is played here with the customary aplomb one naturally
associates with artists such as Martha Argerich and Gautier
Capuçon. Shrieks of delight from the audience confirm their
assessment is the same.
CD 3 concentrates of one of Argerich’s principal passions:
Schumann, in four works that involve Argerich and one
other musician. If there are any readers who have not yet succumbed
to the captivating nature of Schumann’s music then this disc
might very well be the touchstone of a sea-change in their thinking;
it is a wondrous disc. The opening movement of the Violin
Sonata no.1 in A minor, op.105 is achingly poignant and
when you know of Schumann’s mental conflict you can hear it
in every note. Her partner here is the young Swiss violinist
Géza Hosszu-Legocky who, the booklet notes, is equally at home
with jazz and gypsy music - his name is Hungarian so that comes
as no surprise - and it is a wonderfully spirited performance
as one might expect with a partner with that background. Next
comes Schumann’s Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor, op.121
in which Argerich is partnered by Renaud Capuçon, clearly a
particularly favoured colleague - he appears on no less than
10 works in this collection. It opens with a strongly stated
theme in a movement that is lengthy by comparison with the others.
Capuçon plays with real beauty that emphasises the pathos in
the work. The playing throughout is really special and I especially
enjoyed the third movement which is tinged with an almost palpable
sadness yet with hope of better things to come. We are then
treated to an exceptionally rare account of the transcription
for flugelhorn of the Fantasiestücke op.73 with trumpet
ace Sergei Nakariakov. It is hard to understand why we don’t
hear this transcription more often; the flügelhorn which is
an instrument that comes between bugle and trumpet is a far
easier instrument to “tame” than a horn; whenever there are
wrong notes to be heard in an orchestra the chances are that
they come from the horn section. Once you get used to the fact
that you are hearing a brass instrument rather than a cello
the result is quite spellbinding. It is certainly one of Schumann’s
sunnier works and this is a great version to have included in
this set. The disc is completed by Märchenbilder op.113
with Nobuko Imai as violist. Every time I hear the viola I am
reminded of the disparaging things said about it which I’ve
never been able to understand - who could envisage doing without
a viola in chamber music! - and this recording once again brings
into focus what a wonderful instrument it is: rich and sonorous.
I’ve rarely heard a viola sound so much like a cello as it does
here, it is quite remarkable and the melancholic nature of the
piece is declared right from the first movement in beautiful
tones. Then, in the second movement comes the tune we all probably
recognise best from this work with both piano and viola equally
making a most powerful statement. The third movement is somewhat
lighter in mood before the finale is reached which is marked
Langsam, mit melancholischem Ausdruck: slow, with melancholic
feeling. While the devil may not have all the
best tunes I find more when the mood is sad and reflective than
I do when it’s light and “gay”. This is a wonderful performance
full of pathos and played with feeling and grace.
CD 4 is another all Schumann one with three of
his best known works in great performances. Argerich again exerts
her uncanny ability to draw out the other musicians into producing
some outstanding renditons of these works. Such is the obviously
rapt attention given by the audiences that one has to remind
oneself that these are live recordings and are all the better
for being so. The Piano Quintet in E flat, op.44 is particularly
fine and a perfect example of the collaborative process in action
with all the musicians playing marvellously and exemplifying
the very nature of an “ensemble” in which each member is totally
“in tune” with the other in the most naturally musical of ways.
The Piano Quartet in E flat, op.47 is no less wondrous
with the brothers Capuçon teaming up again along with Lida Chen
giving their all. This disc finishes with Schumann’s Andante
and Variations in B flat, op.46 that has Alexandre Rabinovitch
joining Martha Argerich on piano with Marie-Luise Neunecker
on horn and two fabulous cellists, Natalia Gutman and Mischa
Maisky who together produce a great end to a brilliant disc.
More delights await us with CD 5 beginning with Haydn’s
Gypsy Trio in a bright, airy and altogether delightful
account that gives full vent to Haydn’s wit. It involves some
pianism in the first movement that just has you shaking your
head in admiration; the results are so crisp and precise. There
is also wonderful playing from the Capuçons (again!) in the
second movement where the violin carries the theme, and the
third from which the trio derives its nickname. This again has
you reacting with wonder as the violin and piano begin a headlong
gallop with the Hungarian-inspired tune racing for the finish,
interrupted only by some variations along the way. The deserved
applause follows at the end of a fabulous superlatively played
gem of a trio. The mood is decidedly different in the next item
from the same three with Mendelssohn’s piano trio. I
often wonder how one composer would have regarded the work of
another who came after them. I thought of this again with this
trio from a composer born the same year that Haydn died. Genius
and generosity were embodied in equal measure in ‘Papa’ Haydn
and I imagine he would have been hugely admiring of what Mendelssohn
achieved. This trio is a perfect example of how the musical
baton had been taken by someone from the next generation and
further developed. I particularly love the “conversation” that
the two strings appear to be having towards the close of the
second movement. It is small wonder that Argerich chooses to
play alongside the Capuçon brothers. They are simply brilliant
and while they can produce heartfelt and world-weary sounds
when required they can also embody their own youth when necessary:
just listen to the third movement to hear what I mean. The final
movement here is full of gorgeous - I’m fast running out of
superlatives! - sounds that will have me returning to this work
again very soon. It’s like a good book you want to re-read as
soon as you finish it. Once again the audience’s reaction shows
they had also experienced something very special. It’s back
again to Schumann for the third work with the same trio
this time tackling his Fantasiestücke op.88. The first
two movements are in great contrast to each other, the first
being extremely reflective whilst the second is light and happy,
marked as it is Humoresque. For the most part Schumann’s
markings leave the interpreters in no doubt as to mood so when
we reach the third movement we have Duett: Langsam und mit
Ausdruck (Slow and with feeling) which leaves the protagonists
with the responsibility of interpreting the degree to which
they should approach it. No problem there with these musicians
who rise to the challenge with their usual aplomb and finesse.
The finale is in march tempo. The last three offerings on this
disc are from Debussy starting with his cello sonata
with Mischa Maisky as partner. I have read many times how the
French tend to undervalue their composers; can this really be
the case? I adore Debussy I must say and as a Francophile find
his music embodies so much of what I love about France. The
cello sonata is a good example, being full of heartfelt emotion
filtered through a gentle refinement. Debussy was writing at
the same time as the impressionists were painting and perhaps
he, more than most other French composers managed to “paint”
his musical canvases: think of La Mer and Images,
for example. The sonata is treated to a wonderful performance.
The last two works are of Maisky’s arrangements of Debussy’s
La plus que lente and Minstrels. These three Debussy
works stand alone, apart from the César Franck that opens disc
no.6, as being studio recordings. The date from December 1981
though they sound as fresh as if they’d been recorded this year.
CD 6 opens with that studio recording of Franck’s
Violin Sonata, as transcribed for cello. There are works that
should be left in their original form: transcribing them does
them no favours. I feel this, amongst others, especially when
it comes to the Barshai arrangements of some of Shostakovich’s
string quartets – even if the composer agreed to them. Renaming
them “Chamber Symphonies” and appending an ‘a’ to the opus number
makes no difference to me. Having got that off my chest I have
to say that I do find this transcription more than acceptable.
There is not such a huge difference in sound between violin
and cello; at least they’re in the same ‘family’. Franck’s sonata
is so ravishing it sounds quite at home in the realm of the
cello. Maisky’s playing is highly effective; his cello almost
sounds like a viola and, remarkably, he can play it as fast
as a violin! The rest of the disc couldn’t be further from Franck’s
sound-world or from that of the rest of the set as we now come
to Bartók. Both Argerich and Renaud Capuçon show that
they are at home playing “modern” works like these just as much
as they are with music from the classical and romantic periods.
The case for the Bartók sonata is cogently put by them in a
powerful performance that is full of feeling. Contrasts
is a wonderful and fascinating work for piano, violin and clarinet.
It highlights Bartók’s love of folk-inspired melodies and Michael
Collins’ beautifully ‘fat’ sound is perfect here against the
thin and spiky nature of the violin writing.
CD 7 continues with more 20th century works, this time
including Shostakovich. I was very much looking forward
to hearing one of my all-time favourite composers in the hands
of Argerich and friends. I was not disappointed. In 1973 Shostakovich
wrote: "Every piece of music is a form of personal expression
for its creator ... If a work doesn’t express the composer’s
own personal point of view, his own ideas, then it doesn’t,
in my opinion, even deserve to be born." The private
world of Shostakovich that he explored in his chamber works
and in which he was able to express his innermost thoughts and
feelings is immediately evoked at the outset in his piano quintet,
op.57; his anxieties are almost palpable. It is obvious how
well these musicians know the work which he managed to complete
in a few weeks between summer 1940 and September that year.
He gave the first performance in November 1940 with the Beethoven
Quartet, for whom he wrote the work. Just as a short story is
said to be more difficult to write than a long novel, a chamber
work is also more difficult to perfect than a large orchestral
work. Shostakovich certainly believed this - and he should know
having written 15 symphonies and the same number of string quartets,
dozens of other orchestral works plus numerous other chamber
works, solo piano works - for he wrote: "Chamber music
demands of a composer the most impeccable technique and depth
of thought. I don’t think I will be wrong if I say that composers
sometimes hide their poverty-stricken ideas behind the brilliance
of orchestral sound. The timbral riches which are at the disposal
of the contemporary symphony orchestra are inaccessible to the
small chamber ensemble. Thus, to write a chamber work is much
harder than to write an orchestral one." The quintet
was seen as a reflection of the last, fading glimmer of light
in a sea of darkness, coming after the famine caused by collectivisation,
the show trials of the late thirties, and before the war that,
by now, the people realised was inevitable. In his book Not
by music alone Rostislav Dubinsky, first violinist of the
Borodin Quartet, recalled that the quintet was even discussed
in trams. People attempted to sing the defiant theme from the
finale as a kind of personal statement of resistance to it all.
It even eclipsed the main football teams’ performances as a
topic of conversation for a time - try to imagine that happening
on public transport anywhere else! I find this quintet about
as perfect as it could possibly be; it has everything: extreme
sadness, resignation, lightness and humour and defiance. Few,
if any other composers, were able to mirror a people’s feelings
more accurately than Shostakovich and thus communicate a collective
expression. Socialist realism was supposed to “speak to all
the people” which Shostakovich certainly managed to do but often
in a way the authorities never meant – small wonder he had his
suitcase packed and was ever ready to be carted off to the gulag!
Once again Argerich and friends turn in a wonderful performance
that emphasises all the above-mentioned qualities. As a child
I remember telling my mother I didn’t like chamber music to
which she replied that it was an acquired taste she hoped I
would one day acquire. Well, I certainly did and it opened up
a deeply satisfying world. I would say that those who are either
unsure of chamber music or of Shostakovich to start with this
work, for if music means anything to them at all this work will
speak to them in the most direct of ways. The work opens with
a Bach-sounding prelude on piano seemingly foreshadowing his
later 24 Preludes and Fugues, op.87, in which he would pay tribute
to JS. The quartet then joins in and a typically sombre mood
is established. The ensuing fugue continues the mood in which
a brooding lyricism is perfectly expressed. The scherzo is presented
as a counter to that mood and is full of Shostakovich’s wonderful
sense of bizarre irony. This is often a feature of his works
in which he establishes a sad plateau after which a cheeky,
witty and ironic interlude seems to say “but we can still have
some fun even it has to be privately enjoyed”. It’s followed
by a restatement of the serious world shared by all but finishes
off with a defiant outcry that says “don’t worry, we will win
in the end no matter what!”. Indeed in the quintet any joy expressed
in the scherzo is soon counterpoised by the intermezzo in which
feelings of sadness and regret are perfectly expressed by violins
and piano in an almost funereal sounding introduction. This
is followed by the two remaining instruments that enter to help
emphasise and underline the mood. The finale begins by banishing
those blue moods with a light and merry little tune that is
a defiant riposte to what went before. This is the section that
Dubinsky remembers as being hummed by ordinary people to whom
this composer’s works meant so much in those dark days. The
quintet ends in a mood of fanciful whimsy to leave the listener
with the feeling that all is not lost; in my mind’s eye I see
Stan Laurel with his emphatic downward head movement when he’s
got one over Hardy.
The other Shostakovich work on the disc is his piano trio which
he wrote in 1944 in response to the death of his closest friend
Ivan Sollertinsky about whom he wrote: "It is impossible
to express in words all the grief that engulfed me on hearing
the news about Ivan Ivanovich’s death. Ivan Ivanovich was my
very closest and dearest friend. I am indebted to him for all
my growth. To live without him will be unbearably difficult".
He later said that whenever he wrote anything afterwards he
would always ask himself what Sollertinsky would have said about
it. There is little doubt he would have approved of this work
which, once again, is a perfect construct. Argerich is joined
by Gautier Capuçon and no less a violin great than the brilliant
Maxim Vengerov; the three produce a performance of true quality.
The reflective, elegiac first movement gives way to a wickedly
biting scherzo full of Shostakovich’s characteristic sardonic
wit. The third movement is even more sombre than the first but
absolutely beautiful as well as heart-rending. The finale begins
once again as a cheeky little dance with Jewish folk overtones.
It is subjected to improvisation before the mood becomes serious
once again with themes from the previous movements being brought
back. The piano suddenly and in a chaconne-like fashion, calls
the rest to order. Against this the violin, followed by the
cello repeat the cheeky dance slowly and in the most otherworldly
way - it speaks as if from another sphere. The trio finishes
in a satisfying and reassuring way, putting the grotesque nature
behind it. At the time it was written Shostakovich wrote a lot
of works which incorporated Jewish melodies. In a way he was
using the plight of Jews as a metaphor for the whole of the
Russian people and warning them that anti-Semitism is the thin
edge of the wedge. I am minded of the declaration by Pastor
Martin Niemöller when he said: “First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist. Then they
came for the trade
unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade
unionist. Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came
for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.” The more one
listens to both the trio and the quintet the more one can see
the justification of Shostakovich’s point about how hard it
is to write a successful chamber work. He seemed to be able
to produce, with apparent relative ease, works that plumb depths
of emotion and almost seem to sum up the human condition, with
its inclusion of serious declarations, its satirical and bitter
wit and humour, its defiance, as well as menacing statements
representing the oppressive nature of the State. These facts
are surely proof of his genius.
The disc is completed by Janàček’s
Concertino, written in 1925 but sounding considerably more modern.
It has an interesting structure in that the first movement is
for piano and horn alone whilst the second is for clarinet and
piano only. In the two remaining movements those three instruments
are joined by two violins, viola and bassoon. It is as delightful
a work as it is unusual. Janàček had originally intended
it to be called “Spring” and there is certainly much about it
that is spring like. It has charm, inventiveness, lovely themes,
an unusual set of instruments and is lovingly played; what more
could anyone ask!
Finally we arrive at the final disc in the set which returns
to the music of Schumann beginning with the Piano Quintet
in E flat in a superb performance – just listen to the scherzo
to hear a group of musicians having the best fun which communicates
itself to the listener in the most exciting way. This is a sunny
work full of exuberance and it is hard to imagine it played
better than it is here. Dora Schwarzberg, the violinist on that
recording joins Martha Argerich in the next work, the Violin
Sonata No.2 in which we are in more familiar Schumann territory.
Dora Schwarzberg and Martha Argerich have been playing together
for many years and it certainly shows here with the pair communicating
as a true duo, each reacting to the other and creating an exciting
musical experience. This, together with Argerich’s fabulous
pianism and Schwarzberg’s gorgeously rich and sonorous violin
playing, showcases this sonata in the best possible light. The
lucky people at the concert in Holland where this disc was recorded
had the treat of hearing both these works on the same programme
plus the very last work on this marvellous set, Schumann’s Fantasiestücke,
op.73, this time in its original version for cello and piano
with Natalia Gutman as cellist. While I really liked the successful
version for flügelhorn from disc 3, there is no doubt when you
hear the original that the cello is the perfect vehicle for
this wonderful piece. Gutman is a brilliant cellist who was
taught, amongst others by Rostropovich. Her mellow tone is lush
and the whole piece comes alive in a performance to cherish.
So we come to the end of a set designed to celebrate Argerich’s
70th birthday in which the record-buying public are
the beneficiaries. This wonderfully rich and varied programme
of fabulous performances of some of the greatest chamber works
ever written are offered at a special price considerably less
than the cost of any two of the discs taken separately. This
is a set that no chamber music lover should be without. If you
are an Argerich fan as well and you don’t own these discs already
you should not hesitate a moment longer before adding them to
your collection.
Steve Arloff
Full track-listing
CD 1 [59:58]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)
Violin Sonata no.9 in A op.47 “Kreutzer” [34:11]
César FRANCK (1822-1890)
Violin Sonata in A [25:44]
Itzhak Perlman (violin)
rec. in concert, 30 July 1998, Music from Saratoga, Saratoga
Performing Arts Center, USA,
Balance engineer: John Dunkerley
CD 2 [72:17]
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN
Piano Quartet in C Wo036 no.3 [18:13]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Lida Chen (viola), Gautier Capuçon
(cello)
rec. in concert, 14 June 2005, Auditorio Stelio Molo, Lugano,
Switzerland
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Clarinet Trio in B flat op.11 [18:58]
Marek Denemark (clarinet), Mark Drobinsky (cello)
rec. in concert, 28 June 2002 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Trio in D op.70 no.1 “Ghost” [25:57]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. in concert, 13 June 2007 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Michael Rast
Frédéric CHOPIN (1810-1847)
Introduction and polonaise brillante in C op.3 [8:45]
Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 23 June 2009, Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
CD 3 [74:34]
Robert SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Violin Sonata no.1 in A minor op.105 [15:28]
Géza Hosszu-Logocky (violin)
rec. in concert, 23 June 2004 Audiorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor op.121 [32:32]
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
rec. in concert, 20 June 2008 Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
Fantasiestücke op.73 (version for flugelhorn and piano) [10:21]
Sergei Nakariakov (flugelhorn)
rec. in concert, 19 June 2006. Auditorio Stelio Molo
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Märchenbilder op.113 [15:44]
Nobuko Imai (viola)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994 Concertgebouw, Nijmegen,
Netherlands.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan
Allen and Technical engineer, Graham Kirkby
CD 4 [74:13]
Robert SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E flat op. 44 [27:33]
Dora Schwarzberg, Renaud Capuçon (violins), Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg
(viola), Mark Drobinsky (cello)
rec. in concert, 27 June 2002. Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Quartet in E flat op.47 [27:55]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Lida Chen (viola), Gautier Capuçon
(cello)
rec. in concert, 26 June 2006 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Andante and Variations in B flat op.46 [18:27]
Alexandre Rabinovitch (piano), Marie-Luise Neunecker (horn),
Natalia Gutman, Mischa Maisky (cellos)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994, Concertgebouw.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan
Allen and Technical engineer, Graham Kirkby.
CD 5 [79:31]
Joseph HAYDN (1732-1809)
Piano Trio in G Hob.XV:25 (Gypsy Trio) [15:17]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 10 June 2003, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Felix MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847)
Piano Trio no.1 in D minor op.49 [26:34]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 25 June 2002 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Robert SCHUMANN
Fantasiestücke op.88 [19:07]
Renaud Capuçon (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert 21 June, 2009 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller
Claude DEBUSSY (1862-1918)
Cello Sonata [11:05]
La plus que lente (waltz arr. Maisky) [4:31]
Minstrels (arr. Maisky – Prélude no.12) [2:22]
Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. 29-31 December, 1981 Conservatoire, Geneva, Switzerland.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady.
CD 6 [79:08]
César FRANCK
Cello Sonata in A (transcription of Violin Sonata) [27:23]
Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. 29-31 December, 1981 Conservatoire, Geneva. Balance engineer:
Michael Sheady.
Béla BARTÓK (1881-1945)
Violin Sonata no.1 Sz75 [31:47]
Renaud Capuçon (violin)
rec. in concert, 11 June 2007, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Michael Rast.
Contrasts Sz111 [16:44]
Chantal Juillet (violin), Michael Collins (clarinet)
rec. in concert, Music from Saratoga, July and August 1998,
Little Theatre, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, USA.
Balance engineer: John Dunkerley.
CD 7 [77:48]
Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975)
Piano Quintet in G minor op.57 [33:38]
Renaud Capuçon, Alissa Margulis (violins), Lida Chen (viola),
Mischa Maisky (cello)
rec. in concert, 21 June 2006 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher
Piano Trio no.2 in E minor op.67 [34:11]
Maxim Vengerov (violin), Gautier Capuçon (cello)
rec. in concert, 14 June 2004, Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Ulrich Ruscher.
Leos JANÁČEK
(1854-1928)
Concertino for piano, two violins, viola, clarinet, horn and
bassoon [15:15]
Lucy Hall, Alissa Margulis (violins), Nora Romanoff-Schwartzberg
(viola), Corrado Giuffredi (clarinet), Zora Slokar (horn), Vincent
Godel (bassoon)
rec. in concert, 17 June 2008 Auditorio Stelio Molo.
Producer and balance engineer: Wolfgang Müller.
CD 8 [72:17]
Robert SCHUMANN
Piano Quintet in E flat op.44 [29:52]
Dora Schwarzberg, Lucy Hall (violins), Nobuko Imai (viola),
Mischa Maisky (cello)
Violin Sonata no.2 in D minor op.121 [30:06]
Dora Schwarzberg (violin)
Fantasiestücke op.73 [9:51]
Natalia Gutman (cello)
rec. in concert, 18 September 1994 Concertgebouw.
Balance engineer: Michael Sheady, Assistant engineer, Jonathan
Allen and Technical engineer, Graham Kirkby.
Performances in Lugano were recorded as part of the Progetto
Martha Argerich, Lugano Festival (Artistic Director: Martha
Argerich)
Martha Argerich (piano) and friends 
