A collector's box to beat them all, and not a conductor in sight.

Argerich and friend join hands to explore a Russian master.

Growing up with Martha Argerich as a friend of the family, there was no way he wasn’t going to be a pianist. He talks to Justine Nguyen about his Queensland Symphony residence and his musical credo.

From breaking industry news to cute animals and orchestras, here are the most-read classical music stories on Limelight in 2017.

Pleading health issues, the legendary pianist’s withdrawal comes on the back of her cancelled Australian debut. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The revered pianist has withdrawn from all three Sydney concerts due to physical exhaustion, with Yuja Wang to replace her.

Daniel Barenboim and Charles Dutoit help us discover the private pianist behind the public persona.

Ahead of his Pelléas with the SSO, the maestro talks French music and modern opera – just don’t mention the R-word! Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Daniel Barenboim and Charles Dutoit share their insights, plus we look at John Adams, Alma Mahler, Rostropovich and more. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Perlman and Argerich have only played together once before, but there is no denying their synchronicity.

If you want to hear a dazzling young female pianist with a promising career ahead of her, try this. Such creatures are common today, but this set is special. It collects unreleased recordings Argerich made in 1960 and 1967 for North and West German Radio. At the time of the earliest of these, she was studying with Friedrich Gulda, who famously said he had nothing to teach her as “she could already do everything”. Argerich’s recognisable characteristics are here: lightning reflexes; pithy attack; astounding nuance at high speed. She has since abandoned the solo repertoire, so it is fascinating to hear her in Mozart (Sonata No 18, K576) and Beethoven (the Sonata in D, Op. 10 No 3). The latter particularly benefits from her vitality and velocity; it is a shame she never recorded more Beethoven sonatas. The second disc contains works she rerecorded shortly afterward for DG: Prokofiev’s Toccata, Ravel’s Sonatine and Gaspard de la Nuit. In Ravel’s Ondine she is arguably too volatile – tranquillity is not in her armoury – but Scarbo is a knockout. So is her 1967 performance of Prokofiev’s Sonata No 7: the sharpness of her rhythmic response takes your breath away. Throughout her…

The 14th year of the Lugano Progetto (which sadly is about to be abandoned) sees Martha Argerich making music with the likes of cellist Gautier Capuçon and violinist Ilya Gringolts. How does one create a balanced snapshot of almost four hours of first-rate music making? Every performance is impressive and the sheer rarity and originality of much of the repertoire is admirable: a charming B Minor Piano Quintet by Ferdinand Ries (Beethoven’s friend), with the same instrumental combination as Schubert’s Trout Quintet, Brahms’ late, autumnal Clarinet Trio, Op. 114 and Horn Trio (with viola replacing horn – it works), Turina’s Second Piano Trio, all infectious Andalucian rhythms and shimmering effects. The sole orchestral offering is the Bacalov Porteña for two pianos and orchestra (Porteña being the word for native inhabitants of Buenos Aires) with Argerich herself and Eduardo Hubert as soloists. She also partners her former partner, Stephen Kovacevich, in Debussy’s En Blanc et Noir. Even the excerpts from Philip Glass’s dance opera Les Enfants Terribles arranged for three pianos scrubs up well. The last work featured is a selection of four dances from Ginastera’s ballet Estancia, including the famous Malambo. For me, the highlight was the gorgeous, silky Poulenc Sonata… Continue reading…