BLOODY
DAUGHTER
EuroArts
(2 DVDs) / *****
Ever wondered what Martha Argerich's home
videos were like? This beautifully-made 2012 documentary, directed by the
Argentina-born piano virtuoso's third daughter, Stephanie Argerich, strips away
the mystique and reveals a warts-and-all story of familial intrigue,
dysfunction but ultimately tenderness.
Its title refers to an endearing term used by Stephanie's father, the American pianist Stephen Kovacevich, as well as the complicated and sometimes fraught relationships between the Argerich women. Martha comes across as bohemian and cavalier about her daughters’ upbringing, to the point of denying their schooling, while her own mother Juanita, of Ukrainian Jewish descent, remains an enigma even to herself.
Its title refers to an endearing term used by Stephanie's father, the American pianist Stephen Kovacevich, as well as the complicated and sometimes fraught relationships between the Argerich women. Martha comes across as bohemian and cavalier about her daughters’ upbringing, to the point of denying their schooling, while her own mother Juanita, of Ukrainian Jewish descent, remains an enigma even to herself.
Despite being one of the world's great
pianists, Martha displays an ambivalence to a life of endless concertising.
Stephanie also touches base with her elder sisters Lyda (a violist, daughter of
Chinese composer-conductor Robert Chen), Annie (daughter of Swiss conductor
Charles Dutoit) and her own father, who despite being a distant figure also
shows a sympathetic side. A scene where all the four Argerich women, mothers
and daughters, share a picnic together, painting each other’s nails, is
priceless.
The second DVD features a 2010 concert in Warsaw of Argerich in Chopin's First Piano Concerto with the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Jacek Kaspczyk, which finds her in typically fiery form. A must-see for Argerich fans and pianophiles alike.
The second DVD features a 2010 concert in Warsaw of Argerich in Chopin's First Piano Concerto with the Sinfonia Varsovia conducted by Jacek Kaspczyk, which finds her in typically fiery form. A must-see for Argerich fans and pianophiles alike.
WATERCOLOR
SHEN
LU, Piano
Steinway
& Sons 30039 / ****1/2
This is the debut recording of young
Chinese pianist Shen Lu, an excellent programme that highlights a certain
kinship between the aesthetics of Chinese piano music and Western impressionist
repertoire. He opens with Chen Peixun's arrangement of Lu Wenchang's Ping Hu Qiu Yue (Autumn
Moon On A Calm Lake), its flowing melody accompanied by the filigree of
harp-like arpeggios and tremolos. This is followed by Maurice Ravel's
five-movement suite Miroirs (Mirrors), with its descriptive titles: Night Moths, Sad Birds, A Boat In The
Ocean, Morning Song Of The Jester (the
popular Alborada Del Gracioso) and
the Oriental-influenced Valley
Although there are no titles attached to
Rachmaninov's eight Études-Tableaux
Op.33, the aural imagery to be found suggests secret programmes of marches,
raindrops, eulogies, whirlwinds, bells, and more bells. This sense of nostalgia
continues into Chinese composer Tan Dun's Eight
Memories In Watercolor, based on songs and dances heard in his childhood.
The folk-influenced numbers (Staccato
Beans and Sunrain) are reminiscent
of the Hungarian composers Bartok and Ligeti, while the mimicry of Chinese
instruments and drums resounds with clarity and vividness. Lu is beautifully
recorded, and this album makes enjoyable listening.
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