Martha Argerich Progetto – Live In Lugano – Recorded At l’Auditorium de la RSI, Lugano – Radio Suisse Romande – June 20, 2012 –
A festival, A Party, A Celebration; a gathering of some of the best and brightest in the world of soloists and ensembles, all gathered together by Martha Argerich who oversaw, who participated and who filled the auditorium at Lugano with electricity on June 20, 2012 – luckily captured by Radio Suisse Romande and broadcast throughout the world shortly after.
Here are the participants: Alejandro Petrasso, Cristina Marton, Fran Anton Gerzenberg, Daniel Gerzenberg, Franceso Pietmontesi, Lilya Zilberstein, Martha Argerich and Julia Margulis, pianos. Lucia Hall, Semyon Bychkova, violins. Lyda Chen, Nora Romanoff-Schwarzberg, altos. Jing Zhao, cello.
Here are the works (in order) – Beethoven: Razumovsky Quartet op. 59 – Mariano Mores: Tauito Militar – José Luis Padula: Nueve de Julio – Max Reger: Variation and Fugue on a theme of Mozart, op. 132 – Nikolai Medtner: Quintette for Piano – Smetana: Sonata for Two Pianos.
Here is an article, written in 2014 about this gathering and the reasons behind it:
It is a ritual that bears witness to the intimacy of an alliance based on great understanding and admiration, and it perpetually repeats itself during these weeks in June: the time of Lugano’s music festival that carries the name of the legendary pianist and much-adored protégé: Progetto Martha Argerich.
A musicologist and former director of Radio della Svizzera Italiana – Rete Due, Piccardi fell in love with the possibility of bringing chamber music and Martha Argerich to his region and into his life. The original initiative was sparked in 2001 by former EMI recording and TV producer, Jurg Grand, who approached Piccardi: Why should his great friend and pianist extraordinaire Martha have a festival in Buenos Aires (which today is not in existence anymore) and in Beppu, Japan, but not in Europe? It seemed the obvious next step for Martha, a resident of Brussels holding Swiss citizenship who possessed a fascination for all things Italian, to unite with Piccardi and utilize his strong relationships with the Radio and BSI (Banca Svizzeria Italiano – also a current major sponsor of the festival) to plant the seeds of chamber music culture in the Italian-Swiss region, which had heretofore been practically absent. As “Abdul” (Grand’s nickname, coined by Daniel Barenboim) suggested, the festival was inaugurated; he had the vision, Piccardi the perseverance and Martha the compelling persona that brought not only her singular artistry, but her international following of stellar performers, to Lugano.
Many artists come from near and far to the Progetto to make music together, rehearse, perform, and record, but also to rehash their personal relationships with Martha. Many of these friendships, built during her many years of celebrated performances throughout the world, are defined but not confined by her ability to share the limelight to support her fellow artists and causes close to her heart, making it a family affair of sorts: “Partaking in the festival can really put you on the map,” says Nora Romanoff, one of the young artists who has been attending the festival since age 16.
Enjoy the concert.
