Martha Argerich Concert – Manchester Evening News

Martha Argerich
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

She played the Beethoven beautifully, with bell-like clarity and the beguiling mix of light and shade she so often brings to her music.

The solo glided in and out of the limelight, alternating song-like tone and percussive articulation, and she gave us the short Beethoven cadenza with an ending all her own. The slow movement became a nocturne (picking up the atmosphere of the slow parts of Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, with which Manchester Camerata and Gábor Takács-Nagy opened the concert), with wonderful use of pedal in the reprise of the main theme (despite Beethoven’s suggestion against it) and a charmingly imitative dialogue with the clarinet.

There were several fresh young faces amid the rank and file – but under Adi Brett’ leadership they responded willingly to the musicianship of the moment, with warm hearted playing in the woodwind to compliment the robust sound of their trumpets

Manchester Evening News – Martha Argerich concert, Robert Beale, critic – MEN