I just happened to listen to Argerich's 1982 recording of the Rach 3 this morning before seeing your video in my feed (imagine that).  Thoroughly enjoyable!

Dave, that Argerich-Chailly recording is a marvel. True spontaneity is rare. Some competition pianists still find it. Vincent's Chopin comes to mind. When they do, you know instantly.

And there is a video of this concert - its like a thriller, fantastic.

I agree with you; Argerich is truly genius in this concerto.

Yes. For me that's exactly it. Not just virtuosity, but real partnership and musical intelligence. That's what makes it so great.

i generally criticize Ms. Argerich for playing everything too fast, but you succeeded in getting me to listen to this recording to see if it works.  I'll give you this,  it IS exciting,  and actually,  not really too fast.  The second movement didn't lag, for sure,  but didn't seem hurried.  And I actually have never heard the orchestra put so far forward.  I heard parts i'd never known were there.  It is more collaborative than I knew.  It is a great recording of a great work.

Pretty darn volcanic performance, indeed. Orchestra and soloist definitely had a great breakfast, more than simply a good bowl of Wheaties. I've never heard so clearly all those running keyboard lines that normally are covered up by the orchestra. Marta's fingers of steel quite nicely punched through Chailly's powerful orchestral emanations keeping everything in good dynamic balance. This is a performance for the ages!

This was mentioned on the channel in another spot and I picked it up. Oh boy! This is truly one of the greatest recordings ever! I love this recording. So good! Thank you so much for this recommendation

Rachmaninoff 3 Argerich is wild and craziness

There's nothing she can't do on a piano except be mediocre. Great work, Dave! I'm a recent Insider and enjoying the ride.

For me the Wild/Horenstein is my favorite, but it does have the cuts in it. This is a close 2nd. For me this may be one of the most virtuosic live piano performances on record of any work. The cadenza is astounding to say the least.

I am not trained in music; so this simply the opinion of someone who greatly appreciates music. To me this paring of Riccardo Chailly and Martha Argerich's for the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 is: wonderful, grandiose, energetic, climactic, orgasmic and stunningly superb not to mention ineffably, lusciously beautiful.  Granted, I love romantic classical music, in whatever era,  and in that Rachmaninov excels.

I wondered what all of the fuss about this disc was and I so picked up the disk. And yes this was my nth Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3. Once I listened to the piece, I was educated and enlightened.  Oh my God!! Classical music has no equal in the world of music and I listen to nearly all genres. Your opinion may differ.

That first movement cadenza is extraordinary precisely because it never sounds “prepared” in mechanical sense. The phrasing breathes with almost Lisztian freedom while still maintaining the long Rach line. Even at those ferocious tempos she somehow preserves clarity of inner voice and rhythmic inevitability. Thanks Dave for “clearing our ears out”!!!

I heard it live in 1982. It was unbelievable, specially the cadenza! But I also remember that in the enormous Royal Festival Hall, London, with an enormous orchestra playing in fortissimo, the piano got covered many times. Tha Cadenza was something else: waves of sound coming up from the piano, like silver lightening! Soon after that it got around that she had problems in her elbows and would drop the Concerto for a while. BUt Im very surprised to read here that she played it as late as 2009, after her big opperation when she lost one of her lungs. Bravo, Martha!

Very good video Dave, thank you! I would like to suggest you to do a video on the four hands Rachmaninoff cd with Martha Argerich and Nelson Freire, also one of the greatest recordings of all time, I believe!

December 5th 1982 live. The recording is on YouTube and in my Liked videos. 😀

What a fantastic recording. I still believe that everything is centered in the pianist in Rach 3. It‘s not Brahms 1 or 2.

I have this CD, but I haven’t played the Argerich recording in a long time. I’ll have to give it a listen. Horowitz-Ormandy-New York is the one I listen to the most. I also have Horowitz-Riner-RCA Victor SO and the Van Cliburn-Kondrashim-Symphony of the Air, and they are all pretty good.

I saw her perform this live circa 2009 and I thought she was going to break the piano!

I'll have to listen to this, I've been told to get beyond Wild/Horenstein.