Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Martha Argerich, Gidon Kremer :: Beethoven: Violin Sonatas nos 6-8 / Kremer, Argerich

Passes the Blindfold Test

Brian Forst | Reston, VA United States | 07/04/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Itzak Perlman & Vladimir Ashkenazy are virtuosic partners in their extraordinary 1970s version of the Beethoven violin sonatas, while Anne-Sophie Mutter's edgy brilliance is balanced by Lambert Orkis steady hand in their 1998 reading of these works. However, Gidon Kremer & Martha Argerich manage always to hold their own against these other two masterful sets in informal blindfold tests I've tried with friends, often coming out a whisker ahead. Painstakingly recorded over an 8-year period starting in 1987, Kremer & Argerich collaborate in full command of this exquisite material. These are two of the finest artists of our day playing together at the top of their game, a breathtaking set of performances of these ten monumental violin sonatas. In this case, Kremer's violin is more the anchor to Argerich's exuberant pianism. Best bet: save your acorns and get all three versions."

Apollo and Dionysus shake hands!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 03/29/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The necessary balance between the impetuous and sweeping pianism of Martha Argerich blended with the meditative and reflexive playing of Kremer worked out admirably, because when you have a solid approach these are minor obstacles.



Both of them play these Sonatas with sublime conviction, weeding and acrving in relief the dark and rough Beethovenian dissonances beneath the score, because of Beethoven' s sound must never sound only beautiful.



In spite of the fact I previously commented the winning performers of the whole set of Sonatas are to my mind Szigetti-Arrau, Kempff-Menuhin and for those who wish a lyrical approach Francescati-Casadesus, this is probably the most remarkable recording of these renowned works in the last thirty years.



And this fact is by itself, an emblematic feat.

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