Martha Argerich in Schumann’s Piano Concerto at Le Piano Symphonique festival in Lucerne

Brahms: Symphony No. 3, Schumann: Piano Concerto; Martha Argerich, Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Sanderling; Le Piano Symphonique at KKL Luzern

Argerich offers a remarkably intimate efficiency of Schumann’s concerto in a night notable for fluidity, flexibility and a chamber-like orchestral steadiness

After two cancelled TGVs and three cancelled flights, I lastly made it to the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra’s piano competition, Le Piano Symphonique at KKL Luzern (Tradition and Congress Centre, Lucerne). The competition had opened on 7 February 2023 with pianist Rudolph Buchbinder in Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann, adopted by what was reportedly a exceptional live performance when Jean Rondeau gave a harpsichord recital, enjoying Rameau, Couperin and Pancrace Royer in a swimming pool (emptied of water).

I caught up with the competition on 8 February 2023, when pianist Martha Argerich joined the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra below its music director Michael Sanderling for Schumann’s Piano Concerto and the programme started with Brahms’ Symphony no. 3.

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 – Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Sanderling – Le Piano Symphonique, KKL Luzern (Picture: Philipp Schmidli

The Konzertsaal at KKL is a good-looking trendy auditorium, conventional rectangle in form with three shallow balconies and the stage lined with wooden. The acoustic appeared heat and true, actually the subtleties of steadiness that Sanderling delivered to the Brahms had been highlighted as had been the moments when Martha Argerich’s efficiency of the Schumann turned an intimate recital.

The opening of the symphony felt fairly deliberate, however Sanderling introduced the stunning wind solos to the fore and within the second topic, which went with a pleasant swing, there was a stunning wind interaction too. The strings had been quite a few and really current, but by no means overwhelming within the combine. This was a efficiency of gorgeous element and very good steadiness, with many interior components phrased finely and with readability. In the course of the improvement the music appeared to nearly wish to transfer in direction of Ravel’s La Valse, a considerably surprising hyperlink. However Sanderling created an intriguing mixture of intimacy and drama, this was actually not a monumental account of the work, as a substitute there was a Schumannesque fluidity to it.

The Andante started with intimate, shapely wind solos answered by delicate strings, a chamber really feel to the entire with the spareness of Brahms’ writing making the piece really feel trendy. The Scherzo was again to the waltz once more, and the cello melody gave us hints of Dvorak in an analogous vein. The wind had been to the fore within the trio, once more with a chamber music really feel. The finale began in an intimate and darkish means, maybe with not sufficient distinction to the scherzo. Flashes of drama by no means stayed lengthy till, lastly, Sanderling unleashed the beast however nonetheless the music would return to the world of intimacy and fluidity. This was the least monumental of performances and all the higher for it.

Martha Argerich is now 81 and her presence at a live performance not fully assured. The concept of celebrating Robert Schumann with Martha Argerich within the concerto was born ten years in the past, and efficiently delivered to fruition, and certainly the piano music of Schumann is a thread via this 12 months’s competition. The concerto’s opening gesture was actually dramatic in each orchestra and soloist, however then some pretty woodwind solos led to Martha Argerich’s intimate response that actually drew you in. She didn’t make the solo half innately bravura, as a substitute enjoying with a stunning fluidity and adaptability with flashes of drama, and within the busy passages she nearly accompanied the wind solos with simply fragments of melody coming to the fore.

All through, it was the daringly intimate moments that you simply observed, and this continued within the Intermezzo which appeared like a piano solo with strings answering. The fundamental velocity was fairly regular, permitting for the rhythmic subtlety of Argerich’s performing, creating sheer magic. After a zesty opening, the Allegre vivace was an actual dialogue between solo and orchestra, with Argerich giving a poetic forged to the extra bravura moments, but producing some exceptional pleasure.

This was an affectionate and poetic account of the concerto, and for all Aragerich’s use of quiet intimacy, it felt pure and never over suave. However what I took away most had been the moments the place Argerich’s intimate enjoying had a response within the superbly phrased wind solos.

My because of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra for his or her help in bringing me to the competition.