Conductor Seiji Ozawa was 82 in 2017 when this live recording was made, and pianist Martha Argerich 76, but anyone expecting any diminution in powers, or even any kind of an autumnal quality, can forget about it. The performances have, to begin with, entirely characteristic work from both of the principals, and, further, a bit of the excitement of the new. The latter comes mostly from Ozawa's work with the Mito Chamber Orchestra, a Japanese group that he has nurtured over the years; it's not the English Chamber Orchestra, ...
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Conductor Seiji Ozawa was 82 in 2017 when this live recording was made, and pianist Martha Argerich 76, but anyone expecting any diminution in powers, or even any kind of an autumnal quality, can forget about it. The performances have, to begin with, entirely characteristic work from both of the principals, and, further, a bit of the excitement of the new. The latter comes mostly from Ozawa's work with the Mito Chamber Orchestra, a Japanese group that he has nurtured over the years; it's not the English Chamber Orchestra, but the players bring the kind of liveliness and commitment sometimes missing from performances with better-known groups during the later parts of Ozawa's career. The neoclassic Holberg Suite, Op. 40, of Grieg, akin to the French music that was one of Ozawa's specialties, is a real joy here and offers a reason to pick this album over the earlier Argerich-Ozawa release from the same set of concerts, containing only Beethoven. As for Argerich, fans will recognize her immediately in the...
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