Martha Argerich, Yossif Ivanov, and Mischa Maisky at Wigmore Hall review: a masterclass

If forced to sanction the top pianist earlier the nationalist today, oregon so for the past sixty years, galore of america would person small hesitation successful nominating the Argentinian virtuoso Martha Argerich.

Since her triumph successful the prestigious Chopin contention successful Warsaw successful 1965, erstwhile her smouldering Latin American bully looks attracted the attentions of the paparazzi, she has been astatine the apical of her profession. Almost arsenic legendary arsenic the all-too-rare appearances of this intensely self-critical creator are her cancellations.

With her long-standing enclosure spouse the cellist Mischa Maisky suffering from backmost symptom – the programme was changed a fortnight agone for his payment ­– Argerich was reluctant to look if helium was incapacitated. When Argerich, Maisky and the young violinist Yossif Ivanov stepped connected to the Wigmore signifier past night, a corporate suspiration of alleviation was breathed by assemblage and hallway manager alike.

The performance began unpromisingly, however, with Maisky picking his mode nary excessively stylishly done Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 successful G. Playing a modern cello if with a airy bowing action, his notes lacked centre and skittered implicit the surface, with thing overmuch by mode of the assistance and grace of Baroque style.

Argerich is hardly a Baroque specializer either, yet her rendering of Bach’s Partita No. 2 successful C insignificant was a circuit de unit nevertheless. The opening Sinfonia was decently arresting, portion the fugue and aboriginal Rondeau were miracles of taut bushed and varied articulation. The last Capriccio was, arsenic the rubric suggests it should be, an uplifting look of spontaneity and joy.

My lone preservation was the lack of thing resembling a creation bushed successful the Allemande, Courante oregon Sarabande.

In the aboriginal 1980s, nary longer relishing the spotlight of solo recitals, Argerich announced that she henceforth wanted lone to marque euphony with others, mostly successful the much relaxed surroundings of her ain festivals successful Switzerland and Japan. Even arsenic a enclosure spouse her compelling musicianship shines through. With Maisky and Ivanov she brought dexterity and tone to Haydn’s fashionable G large Piano Trio, HXV/25, launching the last Gypsy Rondo astatine a cracking pace.

In the incorrect hands Mendelssohn’s euphony tin look superficial, but determination should beryllium nary information of that successful the almighty D insignificant Piano Trio. These players recovered an perfect operation of aerated fluency and darker play successful the outer movements. They brought expressive strength to the Andante, which tin dependable dangerously similar a pious colony organist if its chromatic inflections are underplayed. And the light-footed fairy benignant of the Scherzo was nicely offset by the vapourish aerial that courses done it.

In the Schubert encore, an statement of his opus Du bist dice Ruh, the melody was taken successful alternation by Ivanov and Maisky. Argerich had lone to supply a rocking major/minor accompaniment. Needless to say, with its perfectly weighted chords and exquisite phrasing, it was a masterclass successful pianism.