Martha Argerich - J.S. Bach: Toccata In C Minor BWV 911; Partita No.2 In C Minor, BWV 826; English Suite No.2 In A Minor, BWV 807 (1980/2017) [Hi-Res]

„This is a thing of beauty. It is also a model of unusually pure piano-playing, with very little pedal and only occasional ‘agogics’ – the small delays which draw attention to a structural landmark. Argerich achieves character with great discipline, by varying her touch, by balancing sounds immaculately against each other, and by her irresistible sense of rhythm, so important in the dance movements of the Partita and Suite. Her buoyancy and alertness in the lively movements are almost alarming. And who else would dare make the Sarabande in the Partita so simple? You’ll feel years younger after listening.“ (Adrian Jack, Classical-Music.com)

“This recital, first issued in 1980, has an extraordinary authority and panache. Argerich's attack in the C minor Toccata could hardly be bolder or more incisive, a classic instance of virtuosity all the more clear and potent for being so firmly but never rigidly controlled. Here, as elsewhere, her discipline is no less remarkable than her unflagging brio and relish of Bach's glory. Again, in the Second Partita, her playing is quite without those excesses or mannerisms that too often pass for authenticity, and in the Andante immediately following the Sinfonie she's expressive yet clear and precise, her following Allegro a marvel of high-speed yet always musical bravura. True, some may question her way with the Courante from the Second English Suite, finding it hard-driven, even overbearing, yet her eloquence in the following sublime Sarabande creates its own hypnotic authority. The dynamic range of these towering, intensely musical performances has been excellently captured by DG.” (Gramophone Classical Music Guide)

Martha Argerich, piano

Digitally remastered