(EMI)
There are not many reliable annual treats among classical CDs these days, but the series of live recordings from Martha Argerich's Lugano festival are now a highlight of each year. This 2011 instalment is exceptionally interesting, with rarities including the big-boned, folksy piano quintet by the Polish composer Juliusz Zarebski and a three-piano version of Shostakovich's satirical Cheryomushki suite. Argerich plays with each of the Capuçon brothers (in Beethoven and Schumann) and joins pianist colleagues for a fine Mozart duet and her wonderful two-piano version of Ravel's La valse. The highlight is an absolutely titanic account of Liszt's flamboyant Concerto pathétique with Lilya Zilberstein: breathtaking.
Nicholas Kenyon
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