Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3 / Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

CDThis is madness in action. Martha Argerich’s Rachmaninoff Third is the fastest and most physically exciting you’ll ever hear. She’s recorded live, and the balances are a little strange as a result. You can also tell that Riccardo Chailly and his orchestra are having a hell of time trying to keep up with her, while anticipating what she’s about to do next–but so what? This is as close as you can come to an experience of spontaneous combustion, and survive. The Tchaikovsky is, if possible, even wilder, with quite a few missed notes. But with an artist like Argerich, you simply can’t judge the performance one note at a time. So go ahead: live dangerously. –David Hurwitz

• ARGERICH / CHAILLY / KONDRASHI
• MUSICA CLASICA
• INTERNATIONAL
• MUSIC