Martha Argerich: this was the great closing of her Festival at the Teatro Colón

After seven concerts full of emotion, finally on Saturday evening the current edition of the Martha Argerich Festival ended. And she did it with one of the evenings preceded by the greatest anticipation, thanks to a program in which the artist would find herself in Buenos Aires with two key works from her repertoire, accompanied by the South Korean Dong Hyek Limby daughter Annie Dutoit Argerich and from Stable orchestra of the Teatro Colón directed by Luis Gorelik.

In front of a completely packed room, Argerich entered with the slow pace of an 81-year-old woman declaring her chronological age. But as soon as he sat down on the sidewalk, the unprecedented phenomenon of an ageless geniuswho, just like 10, has shown unusual musical maturity today it can support the most athletic concerts in the repertoire with absolutely enormous dexterity and power.

As in the theater it is said that the characters seek the actor, in music it can be said that the works seek the interpreter, and that when they find the ideal they live there forever.

Among the works that it is impossible not to associate with Martha Argerich is the third concert by Sergei Prokofiev, who (according to legend) the Argentine pianist learned while she was sleepinglistening to his department colleague (María Rosa Oubiña de Castro) studying him and even tracking down her colleague’s mistakes.

Perfection and rhythmic uniformity

Prokofiev’s score allows Argerich to showcase some of his most recognizable talents: rhythmic perfection and uniformity. without the slightest hint of mechanicalityhis ability to blend the sound of the piano with that of the orchestra, his playful spirit and the unlimited wealth of his resources.

Despite a calendar of rehearsals that did not leave time for a precise meshing with the Stable Orchestra (which showed the maximum effort under the guidance of Gorelik), the artist worked the magic of making this demonic concert happen – to which she has been linked for more than 60 years and which she confessed to know better than the contents of her portfolio – with infallible physical power and surprising speed.

After such a performance, Argerich gave the simple and perfect delicacy of the first issue of scenes for children by Schumann, another work that “belongs to him”.

After a correct interpretation of the Dvorak Carnival Overture, the closing has arrived The carnival of the animalsthe “great zoological fantasy” of Camille Saint-Saëns, which is a perfect excuse for the Argentine artist to share music with great colleagues.

The daughter on stage

Annie Dutoit Argerich interpreted with aplomb and grandiloquence the poems that Francis Blanche created for this opera, fortunately recited in French (it would have been absurd to translate them into Spanish for a French-speaking actress like her).

While not lacking in grace and timing, the lyrics cut the continuity of the musical discourse, and on more than one occasion they have been responsible for confusion and untimely voices on the part of the musicians.

Argerich and Dong Hyek Lim formed a perfect wholewith smooth touch and excellent connection; added an edge by dedicating himself to jokes (the irony of its scales is astonishing in the number that includes the pianists among the animals) with that eternal charm that just a glance or raising an eyebrow is enough to conquer everything.

Within excellent performance of the teamThe solos by Jorge Bergero (cello), Jorge de la Vega (flute), Mariano Slaby (double bass) stand out; horn player Rodolfo Roson surprised by providing an unexpected acting touch in the second issue.

After the encore of the grand finale, the gray mane of the piano lioness disappeared until the next visit to her city, leaving behind the memory of a week of pure fun and a new celebration of life, music and friendship.

File

Algerian Festival

Qualification: Excellent

interpreters: Martha Argerich and Dong Hyek Lim (piano), Annie Dutoit Argerich (actress). Stable orchestra of the Teatro Colón. Director: Luis Gorelik Theater: Columbus, Saturday August 20.

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